Buckie girl Talyia has aid for Ukraine in hand!
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A BUCKIE primary school pupil has turned beautiful bracelets into much needed aid for people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Talyia Milner (11) who goes to Millbank Primary School, has been busy crafting bracelets in the distinctive yellow and blue Ukrainian flag colours in exchange for donations since Russia launched an all-out military assault on their neighbour near the end of February.
Such has been the response that she has managed to raise an incredible £642 in just a month which has been ploughed into purchasing food and other essential items to help those forced out of their homes by the war.
On the way to the Polish-Ukrainian border is food along with items such as baby milk, medicine, first aid kits, sleeping bags, activities for children, hot water bottles.
Young people's news programme Newsround was to provide the spark that was to ignite Talyia's crafting talents in aid of Ukrainian refugees.
She said: "We watch Newsround at school and I saw what was happening to people in the Ukraine.
"I felt really bad for them as they were having to leave their homes and many families were leaving their dads behind to stay and fight.
"I like making bracelets and I thought I could make some and raise money for people in the Ukraine."
Things were to snowball faster than Talyia and mum Ashleigh could ever have dreamed of. Talyia had already used some of her Christmas money to buy clay beads and the first lot of bracelets were created from these. However, Ashleigh was soon back on Amazon ordering more after the youngster's humanitarian scheme went on social media.
Talyia said: "Mum posted on Facebook about the bracelets and the response was mad, people were pinging us all the time.
"It was a big shock how many people wanted one. I'm quite shocked, surprised and proud to have raised all that money."
Among the many people signing up for a bracelet in return for a donation were some of Talyia's schoolmates and teachers at Millbank.
While she worked hard threading the beads, Ashleigh lent a hand fitting the clasps to more than 150 bracelets. Each bracelet was presented to its owner in a special organza gift bag.
Talyia wanted to send food and sleeping bags to help some of the flood of desperate streaming over the Polish border, many fleeing with little more than their lives and the clothes on their backs. In order to ensure the money was targeted in the best possible way, Ashleigh got in touch with the Polish Deli in Elgin who provided a list of foodstuffs urgently needed.
Once bought, the food and other items were dropped off at the deli to begin their long journey, via Aberdeen, to the Polish border and the hands of those who need it most.
Ashleigh said: "I'm very, very proud of Taylia.
"She's the most caring of girls and always puts everyone else before herself. If someone needs a friend, she's there.
"It's good to know she's helped people with this money. Even if it was just one person she helped, it's made a difference."
At the time of writing, more than 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes due to the Russian invasion, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Of those, some four million have sought sanctuary in neighbouring countries while a further 6.5 million have been displaced within Ukraine itself.
Poland continues to bear the brunt of the refugee exodus with over 2.3 million people seeking safety from the war there. Neighbouring Slovakia has taken around 281,000, Hungary 365,000 and Moldova 387,000.
Some 351,000 have made for Russia with 11,000 heading for Belarus.
