Please help Ukrainian children.

We are raising money to support Jo Cope, a single mother of four (14, 13, 8 and K - born sleeping), and three children she selflessly helped to escape war in Ukraine.

Jo is one of life’s “helpers,” first hosting respite for children affected by the radiation left from the Chernobyl disaster when she was 18. The children stay with volunteer families in the summer. In between, she also ran a bereavement photography service for families suffering the loss of a baby.

These children have become family to Jo, and as we tucked our children into bed on Friday 25th February, Jo selflessly boarded a flight to Poland with only the clothes on her back to help three of the children escape.

Thankfully, after a long eventful journey that spanned several days, which almost meant Jo entering Ukraine, she now has the children - they are safe.

However, they are currently stranded in Ireland, as despite the UK opening their arms to give respite to the “Children of Chernobyl,” our government are not willing to do the same to save them from war.

We are raising money to help pay for not only their accommodation in Ireland and journey home, but also to provide for the children going forwards, as they understandably left without any belongings. The children will need clothes, a few home comforts, and food on an on-going basis until it is safe for their return. Sadly, this could potentially be years.

Any money that you donate, no matter how little, would be so appreciated to help keep life as normal as possible for these children.

And if you’d like to help in other ways, please please contact your local MP - raise these issues, tell them children rescued from war, who could be in a safe, loving, family home, are currently in temporary accommodation, in another country. A limbo that is adding to the trauma of leaving behind their parents in a war zone.

To end, a message for Jo: You are one of the strongest people most of us have met, though not through choice. You are amazing, and have turned every adversity that you’ve suffered into good. Keep going. You are an amazing human being. xxx