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28
Feb 2022
Former Ripon student fleeing Ukraine today to set up refugee shelter
As rockets and mortar fire rained down on Kyiv and Russian tanks moved menacingly on the capital's streets, a former Ripon Grammar School student and his partner, hatched a plan to flee Ukraine and help others seeking sanctuary abroad.
Teachers Lewis Edwards, 33, and Tanya Bogdanovska, 30, arrived in Uzhhorod in the early hours of yesterday morning, after leaving Kyiv on Friday to drive 500 kilometres to the border with Slovakia.
Today they face a long wait to cross into the neighbouring country, where their plans for a shelter that will provide assistance to fellow refugees from Ukraine are starting to take shape.
They have growing support from a team of people that includes doctors and other professionals.
Fundraising and advice
Back home in Ripon, Lewis's family launched a Go Fund Me page yesterday, which aims to raise an initial £10,000 to get their humanitarian venture off the ground.
At the time of publication, more than £3,000 had been raised.
Advice is being provided by Nicola David, chair of Ripon City of Sanctuary, who has expertise in resettlement programmes from her work with organisations that have assisted Syrian refugees.
She said:
Lewis Edwards, with his mother, Ali. Picture: the Edwards family
His mother, Ali, said:
The horror in Ukraine
Last night, Lewis told the Stray Ferret about the horror of seeing his adopted country invaded by Russia.
He said:
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