Senior pupils at a city school are helping make life a little easier for those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.
Youngsters at Bucksburn Academy have responded to the YMCA Scotland appeal to help refugees forced to leave their homeland.
The youth achievement award class at the Kepplehills Road secondary have been filling up shoeboxes and they will also make a cash donation.
YMCA Scotland has urged people to fill a shoebox or backpack with items like toothpaste, hats, gloves and a first aid kit.
The charity also want items for children like notebooks, colouring pencils, play cards and hand-drawn picture messages.
A lorry is due to leave Aberdeen today with all the items gathered by pupils at Bucksburn Academy.
Refugees have ‘nothing’
Fourth-year pupil Andrew Mitchell said that regularly viewing images of people being forced to leave their homes was the push for him to help.
The 15-year-old said those crossing the border in the hope of finding sanctuary have been left with “nothing”. He said he felt it was important Bucksburn Academy lend a hand.
Andrew said: “We’d seen all of these fleeing to Poland as refugees and they’ve got nothing.
“Seeing them on television made me feel bad and made me want to do something.”
Youngsters chose to help out
Bucksburn Academy teacher Morag Hamilton said that the children in class lead the effort to help stricken Ukrainians.
She said that refugees should get the goods at the weekend.
Ms Hamilton said: “They started looking at local ways to do that and the YMCA appeal seemed best.
“They liked it was going directly to young people. So it is going to YMCA Ukraine and it is like young people helping other people.
“We’ve seen it on the news and have been speaking about it in class.
“The whole point of the youth achievement award is that it based around teamwork and the young deciding what they want to do.
“Pupils across Aberdeen have been working with the YMCA and the lorry collecting items leaves Aberdeen on Friday.
“If the items cannot get through to Ukraine they can be used on the border. They should get there by the weekend.”
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