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28
Oct
Knaresborough man fundraising to bring Ukrainian children to Yorkshire
A Knaresborough man is looking to raise £20,000 to bring a team of junior footballers from Ukraine over to play football.
Bob Frendt has been working tirelessly since the Ukraine war broke out to aid civilians however he can, including bringing medical kit to hospitals, Easter eggs to schools and even providing fire engines.
He was instrumental in the twinning of Ukrainian town Volodymyr with Knaresborough, and Volodymyr has been the focus of many of his efforts – included his latest charitable venture.
The 75-year-old said:
Three years ago I thought the state for kids over there is horrendous. They don’t know if they’re going to wake up in the morning. All we have to do is get them on a plane and I can pick them up at the airport.
It turns out it wasn’t that simple, and three years on there’s still a way to go – although the necessary approvals have been given.
In June a group came from Ukraine to have a look around Knaresborough and ensure it would be safe for the children to visit – with Bob purposely scheduling the visit during the bed race, to ensure the group saw Knaresborough at its best.
He added:
They wouldn’t send kids before they checked Knaresborough was safter than the town they’re getting bombed in. I decided to give them the best week’s holiday they’ve ever had.
Bob Frendt travelled to Ukraine to deliver aid.
The retired lorry driver visited Volodymyr in September to drop off supplies at a care home, and when he was there he gave the proposed itinerary to the mayor – which had to include where the boys would be staying, what they would be eating and who would be responsible for their welfare at every point in the trip.
Carlton Lodge in Thirsk, which is large enough to cater for the 19 players and staff, was chosen.
The lodge initially quoted £6,500 for the accommodation, but reduced the fee to £2,500, and offered a £500 bursary, when it discovered more about the trip.
The generosity isn’t just limited to Carlton Lodge: The Frazer Theatre in Knaresborough, which is hosting a fundraising concert for Bob, offered the 100-seat venue for free. It has also pledged that the charity can keep all the money from ticket sales.
The performance, on November 7, will see two Ukrainians performing – an opera singer and a bandura player – as well as a choir from York.
Bob said:
I hadn’t heard about the bandura until I went to Ukraine, and they played it for me. It’s sort of a lute meets a harp – the music is heavenly. I spent 10 days tracking down someone who could play, and she’s coming from Manchester.
Bob Frendt, centre, donated toys to children in Ukraine including a young Manchester City fan
So far, 60 tickets have been sold – but with not much more than a week left Bob is hoping every seat will be filled.
With the group of 12-year-olds set to come over on July 22, 2027, the £20,000 is needed by the end of May to cover all the costs.
Bob has another fundraiser - a classic car show – planned for the early May Bank Holiday, and is hoping to get a donation from Knaresborough Town Council.
A professional videographer he’s arranged for the concert has also suggested making the project into a documentary.
He added:
Five years ago I was dead. I was vegetating, bored stiff, getting on my wife’s nerves. I’ve never been able to sit still. It’s changed my life for the better – it’s given me purpose.
Every time we go [to Ukraine] we drive down the street and I see a guy with no legs in a wheelchair, and I know that’s a wheelchair I took, and without that he’d be stuck in the house. That’s why I do it – I’m making a difference, giving them a better quality of life.
Bob is in the process of registering as a charity, a process that saw him spend four weeks attempting to complete a 44-page form.
He’s been told it will allow businesses to donate more money, and has even had an offer of support from the former chairman of a major charity.
For more information and to buy tickets to the concert, see here.
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