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Inverness driver offers to help after overwhelming response to Ukraine appeal

Catherine Brown donating supplies at Touch of Poland in Inverness. Picture by Sandy McCook.
Catherine Brown donating supplies at Touch of Poland in Inverness. Picture by Sandy McCook.

An Inverness courier driver has offered to pick up donated goods from Inverness and take them to a collection point in Perth.

Courier John Dean said he could help, after a plea from the Touch of Poland shopkeepers asking for help with transportation.

While thousands flee the war-stricken country, Inverness residents have been collecting parcels to send to Poland – a neighbouring country to Ukraine.

In a bid to get bags of clothing, sleeping mats and other items to Poland, a Pegasus Couriers contract driver volunteered to transport the goods from Inverness to a Perth storage unit.

From there the donations will be taken onto Poland to help refugees.

The donations come after local Inverness store, Touch of Poland, made a plea through the Press and Journal, asking for items.

Tomasz Sawczuk with donations at Touch of Poland in Inverness. Picture by Sandy McCook.

Pegasus Couriers contract driver John Dean got involved after seeing a message on a WhatsApp group.

He said: “I read a message asking for people to come forward with donations. I contacted the organiser at the shop.

He told me that they were looking at delivering the goods to a Perth storage unit where the items will be placed in a container and sent to Poland.

“They were looking for someone to help with the transport as it can be overwhelming if you have several boxes of donations.

“I offered to take the goods to their Perth storage facility from where they will be sent to Poland.”

Asked why he wanted to assist, Mr Dean said: “I will help wherever I can.

“If we all do our bit to help, it will make a tremendous difference and help so many people.

“Some of these people are now refugees and have lost everything. They deserve our basic support.”

It is not the first time Mr Dean has stepped up to help people in need.

Around four years ago, he helped gather donations for refugees fleeing Syria.

He said: “I do it to help, and hopefully, someone else will see what I am doing and also assist.”

Company will meet the costs of the fuel

Pegasus Couriers regional manager Michal Zwierzynski said they would sponsor Mr Dean’s fuel.

He said: “As a business, we encourage all our contractors and staff to be involved with community-driven initiatives.

“As part of our social responsibility, we support various projects spearheaded by our partners.

“In this case, John told us what he was doing, and we felt that we should also do our bit to assist.”

Read a full list of where to donate across the north, north-east, islands and Argyll.