Jersey campsite sends bedding to help displaced Ukrainians

Sunday 02 October 2022

Mattresses from a Jersey campsite are heading to Ukraine to help individuals stuck at the Romanian border.

Rozel Camping Park donated the beds and bedding to Mustard Seed Jersey, which has already sent several aid consignments to Romania and plans to send another in autumn.

Mustard Seed then pays the costs for Romanian volunteers to transport the goods over the border into Ukraine. 

"Some of the aid from Jersey is given by the poorest in Bihor county of Romania, some is given to Ukrainian refugees in Romania and some is sent across the border into Ukraine to benefit those still in Ukraine," Founder Trustree of Mustard Seed Rose Pallot explained.

"When Rozel Camping Park offered us the beds I checked on where the greatest need was and so - even although sending goods to Ukraine proves much more expensive for us than just to Romania - we will facilitate getting the goods to Ukraine, working with our daughter charity Mustard Seed Romania in Romania."

Pictured: the beds prepared for shipment.

It's not the first time the Rozel Camping Park team have helped out Mustard Seed.

Owner of the campsite, Tosh (David) Germain, has previously driven as a volunteer for Mustard Seed, and seen the depth of need first-hand.

He said his team were "delighted" to help.

Earlier this year, Mustard Seed reported that a building they had funded in the village of Cefa was being used to offer accommodation to 73 children and young people aged between four and 18 who had been in an orphanage near Kiev that was bombed.

This year's Mustard Seed Christmas Shoebox effort will be directed at helping Ukrainians – either refugees in Romania or over the border into Urkraine – and islanders are being asked to help. 

Last year, 2,978 Christmas shoeboxes were sent from Jersey to Romania - but "how many we send this year depends on you," the charity says.

Pictured: This year's shoebox appeal is directed at helping Ukrainians affected by the war in their country.

Due to Brexit, there are different requirements, so the Mustard Seed team ask that islanders read their leaflet – available online here, as well as in paper form at Parish Halls and Les Quennevais Sports Centre – before putting their boxes together.

"Boxes to Ukraine will be sent via Romania and it will be our Romanian friends who will organise the onward transport. As there are extra transport costs to Ukraine, not to mention fresh requirements and paperwork since Brexit, we very much hope people will make a generous donation towards the cost of transport," Ms Pallot said.

The final date to donate a box is 26 October.

Pictured top: Mustard Seed volunteer David Vasselin Mustard, Tosh Germain, and Tosh’s daughter Philippa Toudic, loading up the van.