Charity football match to help displaced Ukrainians

A charity football match to raise cash for Ukraine was held at Huntingdon Town FC

A charity football match has been held to raise funds for those displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Huntingdon Town played Eunice Huntingdon FC, a team made up of local English, Ukrainian and Polish players.

Money raised would support Ukrainian people living locally and buy essential supplies to send to the country.

The game on Tuesday was organised with Buckden Help Hub, which supports Ukrainian refugees living with British host families in Cambridgeshire.

Match organiser Andrew McLaran said similar events would hopefully be put on in future

Andrew McLaran, organiser of the Buckden volunteer group which is supporting 70 families, said it hoped to put on similar fundraising events in Peterborough, where more Ukrainian refugees are settled.

"This is a test event really to see how it would be perceived and how it would work with the local community," he said.

"For a week night it's not a bad turnout."

Marcin Laskowski, who is Polish, helped put together the international team made up of people from Ukraine, Poland and England

Marcin Laskowski of Eunice Huntingdon FC, who is from Poland and works as an artisan baker in the town, also helped set up the match.

"Since the war began we sent about 90 pallets to Poland because that's more easy for the logistics, and from there Poland sent [goods] direct to Ukraine," he said.

Lena Nilsen said the game was being held on Ukraine Constitution Day, a time when the diaspora would normally celebrate the country's independence

Another volunteer, Lena Nilsen, who runs a beauty business in St Neots, said the money raised from the match, its food and raffle sales, would help purchase items for hospitals and families too.

"We will send all humanitarian things which include what's most needed in Ukraine - clothes and medications, everything," she said.

The match was held at Huntingdon's Town's ground in Jubilee Park.

Club manager Wilkins Makate, said: "It's good to see the Huntingdon community involved.

"The match is for a great cause as well. Obviously what's happening over there is terrible.

"We can only do our bit and hopefully this will go a long way to helping a few more in Ukraine."

Food and raffle tickets were sold to raise funds