Pensioner asks churches across England to ring bells for Ukraine

Stuart Pullen wants people in Ukraine to know "we still care"

A pensioner is trying to encourage churches to ring their bells in solidarity for the people of Ukraine.

Stuart Pullen, from Monkton Heathfield near Taunton, wants to let Ukrainians know they have not been forgotten.

He has written to the Central Council of Bell Ringers to try to get churches to join in at 11:00 GMT on 21 January - the day before Ukrainian Unity day.

The day marks the unification of East and West Ukraine in 1919.

Mr Pullen hopes churches across the country will ring their bells

Mr Pullen said. "I don't want Ukrainians to be forgotten. I want them to feel we are supporting all the time in this horrendous situation.

"I was listening to the news and hearing about the attacks on the infrastructure in Ukraine leading to millions of people being left without heat and light.

"This made me reflect on what else I could do to show support for the Ukrainians. The idea came of ringing the church bells.

"I have so far managed to get promises to ring the bells at West Monkton, Cheddon Fitzpaine, Kingston St Mary, Broomfield, Taunton Minster and East lyng."

Revd Tobie Osmond said bells would sound out from Taunton Minster

As a former bell ringer, he wants the sound of bells to ring out from much further afield.

"My dream would be that they all ring on the Saturday at 11am and that we get a swell of noise all around the country," he said.

Revd Tobie Osmond, of Taunton Minster, said: "It is going to happen here definitely, and we are working hard to make certain the other churches in the town support it, but if it can go beyond Taunton and out into Somerset and across the nation, that would be fantastic.

"Some small idea from a small county town, to really support a whole country in what they are going through would be an amazing thing to achieve."