UCL’s SSEES Society amasses 1,600 boxes of toiletries, food, medicine, and survival gear to help Ukrainian refugees

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February plunged the world into an urgent humanitarian crisis. UCL’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies’ (SSEES) Society has been successful in providing essential supplies to Ukrainian refugees through their donation drives.

Since 28 February, student-led SSEES society has been working closely with UkayExpress, Meest Group and Red Cross volunteers to provide essential supplies for Ukrainian refugees based in Lviv and Kharkiv. 

SSEES society has been collecting everyday supplies through rounds of donation drives. Collecting items such as second-hand clothing, survival gear, toiletries, medicines and other essential items to be directly transported out to Lviv, the society has organized major collection drives that have taken place on 28 February, 1-3 and 9-10 March and have received donations every day since. 

Presently, the society has successfully collected and delivered 1,600 boxes of toiletries, food, medicine, and survival gear to Ukraine, liaising with other universities across London – King's College London (KCL), The London School of Economics (LSE) Raising and Giving Society, and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) World Development Society.

External businesses and organizations such as Urban Outfitters, TWS Partners, Artoosh underwear, and Lions club of London Belmont have also reached out to SSEES society and UkayExpress to help deliver supplies they have gathered individually. 

SSEES Society has also packed and shipped the supplies gathered by other UCL societies' donation drives, such as the LGBTQ+ Network collecting feminine hygiene products and Salsa Society donating more general necessities for the refugees. 

UCL’s School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies have themselves launched a scheme supporting displaced scholars and students and have been conducting formal expert discussions and informal workshops about the war in Ukraine and its implications, accessible to all UCL staff, alumni and students. 

Keen on supporting Ukrainian refugees? SSEES society donation drives continue everyday for 2-3 hours Monday to Friday, confirming the donation drop-off hours on their Instagram handle at the beginning of each week.

If you are in London, contact SSEES Society (@sseessoc on Instagram) to arrange a date/time to drop off donations with them at the UCL SSEES building. If you are not physically in London, through this link you can order the items which the society is most lacking online, and ship directly to the society by setting the delivery address to UCL SSEES Society (℅ Freya Proudman), 16 Taviton Street, London, United Kingdom, WC1H 0BW.