Student’s family rallies to raise cash for Ukrainian refugees

A caring student and her family are raising vital funds for refugees after hearing horror stories from their relatives in war-torn Ukraine.

Paige Davison, 16, from Shepshed, said her sisters and cousins will run 50 laps of their garden every day for a week to raise money for UNICEF which is helping children caught up in the conflict.

After appearing on BBC News, they have already raised more than £1,500 in sponsorship but want to raise more to help those affected, after hearing stories from their relatives in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine.

Paige, a Level 2 Travel and Tourism student, said: “My mum is Ukrainian and my grandad Peter was so proud to be Ukrainian. He fled here from war  

“My mum is really upset. She was a midwife in Ukraine. She rings my cousin every night and he was saying he went to go to this big supermarket near his village, but he was seeing people giving birth on the streets because the hospitals have been bombed.

“It’s really sad to think that last time we went they were so happy and properly grateful for what they had. It’s horrible to think how scared they must feel.”

Paige said her sister came up with the idea of raising money because of a desire to help in any way they could.

“We put the idea out on Facebook and didn’t expect much to happen, but people started sharing it and donating to our Just Giving Page,” Paige said. “Then the BBC saw it and we were interviewed the same day. Donations went crazy after that.”

She added: “We weren’t expecting it. It’s nice to know that people care as much as we care. It’s nice to see it.”

Paige’s sisters Amelia, 10, and Sienna, two, will be joined in the sponsored garden run by their cousins Millie, 10, and Freddie, six, which starts on Sunday, 6th March, and lasts a week.

To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/laura-smejko

To watch the family’s appearance on BBC East Midlands Today from 6 minutes 5 seconds, visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00151p4/east-midlands-today-evening-news-03032022