‘YES, we care’ was the message coming loud and clear out of West Somerset this week for the besieged people of war-torn Ukraine.

Local communities across the district were rallying to give money and goods to be sent for humanitarian support in the Eastern European country.

West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger fronted the campaign for Ukraine support with the message: “I applaud and continue to be amazed by the courage and fortitude of ordinary Ukrainian citizens.

“They are prepared to fight for their families, their heritage and their land with the humblest of arms.

“They face overwhelming firepower but they still intend to resist.

“We must do everything we can to support them – and we will.”

Mr Liddell-Grainger said the Russian invasion of Ukraine had gone ‘beyond decency, let alone logic’ and caused appalling bloodshed with attacks upon innocent people.

In Minehead, donations were piling up at a collection centre in the old hospital in Blenheim Road, co-ordinated by town councillors Toni Bloomfield and Emily Jones, and Minehead Mayor Cllr Paul Bolton.

Cllr Bloomfield, who also works with Minehead Connect CIC, said: “The generosity of West Somerset people has been absolutely amazing.

“All sorts of bits have been donated by people of all sorts of ages coming in from Minehead, Watchet and elsewhere.

“I love the way West Somerset pulls together as a community and supports each other.”

Cllr Bloomfield said collections were being taken in the room where the library was situated and the donations would then be taken to Taunton where there was a hub sending them to Ukraine.

The first van full of material was taken to Taunton on Wednesday (March 9) and the appeal would continue for as long as it was needed.

“Any help is appreciated,” said Cllr Bloomfield. “We are desperate for any good-size strong cardboard boxes, please pop them down as soon as you can.”

Collection buckets were available for cash donations and Cllr Bloomfield said a raffle was being organised for individuals and businesses to buy tickets.

A carefully drawn up list of items which were particularly needed in Ukraine fell into three categories of ‘medical’, ‘tactical/military’ and ‘food’.

The list was available on the Minehead Connect CIC Facebook page and on the town council website but clothes, toys, bedding, towels, blankets and most food could not be accepted for the moment unless the foods could be eaten straight from their packaging.

A van was set to leave from the Taunton centre today (Friday) to take the provisions to Ukrainian territories for defenders and to Polish reception points for refugees.

The old hospital collection centre is open Monday to Friday between 10am and 2.30pm and on Saturdays from 11am to 2pm.

Anyone who would like to help the collection effort should contact Cllr Bloomfield on 07538 838307.

In Alcombe, Polish resident Gosia B. Zabicka has had a black box collection point outside her house all week, after earlier donations filled the summerhouse in her garden.

Gosia told the Free Press: “The response has been overwhelming and heart-warming with such amazing donations.

“I know it is still a tragedy in Ukraine but we feel a bit better now that we are doing something to help.

“We could not do it without all the support of all the wonderful people here. It is teamwork, everybody working together.”

The Minehead community also showed its support with an impressive display of the Ukraine yellow and blue national flag colours in shop windows.

One shopkeeper said: “This was not something organised between us as traders but it shows that we all feel the same, that it is important to show our solidarity and huge, huge sympathy for the terrible plight of the Ukrainian people for what they are going through at this horrific time.”

Packs of sunflower seeds, which is Ukraine’s national flower, were sold from a stall organised by Kate Kennedy at a street fair in Watchet on Sunday to also raise money to help refugees from the war.

The giant and dwarf sunflower seed packs remain on sale in Watchet at the Post Office and the Bell Inn public house and in Williton at the Somerset Farmhouse butchers and deli for £1 each.

The sunflower profits will go direct to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal fund.

An appeal by Watchet mothers Jane Ellwood and Keiley MacDonald using the online platform JustGiving had raised more than £700 by Wednesday, including a contribution from family-run farm shop Veggie Patch, which will go straight to the British Red Cross Ukraine crisis appeal.

A coffee morning held on Sunday in Watchet Methodist Church by the minister the Rev Jane Sperring raised a further £180.

Craig and Karen Holmes, who run the Windmill Inn, West Quantoxhead, have been accepting donated items daily from 8am to 8pm and were amazed at ‘everyone for their kindness and generosity these last few days’.

The couple said: “The donations received so far have exceeded all our expectations and we are so happy to see the first collection leave this week to support the refugees of Ukraine.

“We are proud to be part of such a kind and generous community. The refugees are in our thoughts daily and we hope we collectively can make a difference and support them as best as we can.”

In Wiveliscombe, a personal appeal for donations quickly escalated into a village-wide effort which resulted in the community hall being filled with boxes of items.

It involved a huge operation with volunteers collecting, sorting, boxing and custom labelling the donations before they were taken by van to the Compass Centre central collection point on the Belvedere business park in Taunton, from where a lorry set off to the Poland-Ukraine border.

Business support came from West Country Guns, Wivey Hardware and Open Door.

Items were also being collected in communities across the district under the banner ‘Exmoor Aid for Ukraine’, co-ordinated by Tracey Morris, of the Royal Oak public house, in Withypool, who can be contacted on 01643 831506.

The efforts came as the first Ukraine refugee family arrived in Taunton this week, where a support group of volunteers has started to help them settle into accommodation they have been allocated.

In Dulverton, a van and a Land Rover were filled with donated goods and £300 in cash was collected in just a short period on Monday (March 7).

​In Porlock, Jane Thorpe and Christine Morris were spending this week trying to contact every household in the village individually to encourage donations for the cause, while Candy Bright was promoting cash contributions direct to the British Red Cross.

The six churches in the Dunster Benefice jointly showed their support through collections at their services on Sunday (March 6) and through other events.

The combined Withycombe and Rodhuish Churches raised £205 between them.

In Carhampton, a coffee morning on Saturday followed by a collection at the Sunday service raised £438.

Timberscombe Church contributed a total of £450 from a collection at the Sunday service plus donations afterward.

Dunster saw an initial church collection at the service on Sunday of £56 following which the parochial church council pledged to contribute a further donation of several hundred pounds.