Ripon raises £35k for Ukrainian teen who lost family in A61 crash

A fundraiser was held at the Black Swan pub in Ripon on Saturday

Fundraisers have collected £35,000 for a 15-year-old girl whose family were killed in a car crash.

Daria Bartienieva, 35, son Ihor Bartieniev, six, and stepdaughter Anastasiia Bartienieva, 15, all died in the collision on the A61 in South Stainley, Harrogate, on 3 September.

All were Ukrainian refugees living in Ripon after arriving in the UK in 2022.

On Saturday, the latest in a series of fundraisers was held in the town to benefit the bereaved teenager.

She was not in the car when it crashed earlier this month.

Fundraisers (from left) Sara Hirst, Kelly Hirst and Donna Chilcott thanked Ripon people for their generosity

Sara Hirst, landlady of the Black Swan pub, where a fundraising afternoon was held, said the crash had "hit everyone hard".

"We had to do something," she added.

Ms Hirst, along with fellow fundraisers Kelly Hirst and Donna Chilcott, told the BBC a total of £35,994 had been collected to date.

The latest event on Saturday included a raffle and live entertainment.

The three women thanked those who had supported the fundraising efforts, which end on Monday.

A floral tribute left at the scene on the A61 Ripon Road

Previously, Sue Sanderson, the headteacher at Holy Trinity Church of England Infant School in Ripon, where Ihor attended, said the crash had "affected everyone within our community".