Post Office customers have helped to raise over £1 million through donations made over the counter across its network of 11,500 branches in the UK for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
The average donation is around £70 per customer and the most generous donation made over the counter so far is just over £4,000, Post Office revealed.
Sixty per cent of the total donations received so far have been made in cash over the counter, highlighting the continuing importance of cash, with over 8,000 donations in notes and coins, over 4,400 card payments and over 100 cheques, it added.
With more than three million people having fled their homes to escape conflict in the Ukraine, these funds will support the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal and local partners in neighbouring countries to provide food, water, shelter, medical assistance and trauma care to those who have fled their homes.
“I’d like to extend a huge thank you to all our customers, postmasters and branch staff across the UK who have helped to raise over £1m to support the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. The incredible generosity we’ve seen across our network highlights the valuable role that postmasters play at the heart of communities to support charities and vulnerable groups at home and abroad,” Mark Cazaly, head of corporate responsibility at Post Office, commented.
“This achievement also demonstrates the important role that cash continues to play in local communities with over 60 per cent of donations being made in cash over the counter. With fewer options for people wanting to donate cash, we’ve seen the value Post Offices play in making sure people can donate however they want to. If you’re popping into your local Post Office to pay a bill, send a parcel or access cash in the coming weeks, you can still make a valuable contribution to this important cause.”
Assistant Manageress Amy Hill along with Julian Edwards (Postmaster) and Sasha Lawrence (Co-Director) who run the Elmsett Post Office & Village Store in Suffolk are one of a number of branch teams across the UK who have hosted essential item and donation drop off points for Ukrainians who have fled their homes.
Amy said: “We have customers who are from the Ukraine and many people in our community are very worried about the situation for families who have had to flee their homes, in addition to this Sasha has Ukrainian friends and work colleagues, some of whom are still stuck there. As a community led business, we understand the worry this has caused and people’s desire to support those who need it. That’s why we were so happy to offer a platform and opportunity for them to send the help they can through our branch, whether that’s through cash donations or essential items.”
Postmaster Alan Knight who runs the Headcorn Post Office in Kent, decorated the front of his shop with a large yellow and blue balloon display to show his support for the people of Ukraine and to help raise awareness of the DEC appeal.
When commenting on the reaction to his actions he said: “It was extremely moving when Ukrainian customers came in to thank us for the gesture and then talked to us about the situation. We wanted to raise awareness of the opportunity to make donations over the counter in our shop and show that we stand with the people of Ukraine. Almost everyone from the village has shown their support in different ways and I was very proud that my family attended the local Ukraine support group where they helped to pack boxes of essential items and transport them to refugees.”
Post Office has also introduced a series of other measures to support Ukrainian refugees where possible across its range of products and services. These include:
Working with MoneyGram and Western Union to remove fees for money transfers to Ukraine
Enabling refugees to collect residency permits from around 200 Post Office branches. People arriving from Ukraine have already started to make use of this service,
Supporting people who will be welcoming Ukrainian refugees into their homes. Post Office home insurance customers’ cover will not be impacted if they take a Ukrainian refugee into their home. In partnership with home insurance providers Ageas and DAS, the business has extended the definition of a ‘family’ to include anyone who has settled with a Post Office insurance customer as part of the refugee scheme, without needing to notify them or paying any additional charges.
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