In late February 2022, Havant Borough Council, having immediately recognised the urgent need of the Ukrainian people displaced by the war, responded swiftly, arranging for charity ‘Stella’s Voice’ to utilise a unit free of charge in the Meridian Shopping Centre for the collection, sorting and storing of goods and donations for the Ukrainian Appeal.
Having now secured a large local warehouse for their use, the charity is moving out of this unit, which has made way for a new tenant to take occupation.
Rob Fryer, Centre Manager said: “Working with Wayne Keeping and the rest of his team to help maximise the awareness of their efforts, the donations for this cause from the good people of Havant has been eye-opening. We are all amazed at the hard work of the volunteers and the ongoing generosity in the form of material donations that the people of Havant have contributed, along with monies which now stand at a superb £1,500.00. All of the donations have been passed over to the charity who help Ukrainian refugees as they cross into Moldova.”
As an additional goodwill gesture, Havant Borough Council kindly agreed to donate the shelf racking from the unit they were occupying for use in the charity’s warehouse in Moldova.
Although the charity is closing in the centre, Meridian Shopping Centre intends to keep two clearly marked ‘Ukrainian Collection’ trolleys under the Centre’s escalator as collection points. Meridian Shopping Centre will continue to encourage local residents and customers to drop off key items the charity are still urgently in need of whenever they can. The required items will be kept updated on the Centre’s website: meridianshoppingcentre.com