Two Llanbrynmair volunteers have returned from their humanitarian trip to Ukraine describing it as “too intense to put into words”.

Sara Wheeler and Vicky Rowe travelled to Przemysl, in Poland, on 30 March, before returning home last week, on Friday, 8 April.

“It’s been too intense to put into words very well, if I’m honest,” Sara said, “There’s the extreme of seeing the aftermath of the absolute worst of humanity, and then seeing the best of humanity. All these amazing humans being so kind to everybody and giving out so much love to each other in the most extreme circumstances.”

The pair managed to raise £1,500 before the trip, raising a further £2,500 by posting updates on the Mid Wales Refugee Action Facebook page.

With the money they bought food and transported it to a warehouse on the border in Ukraine, ready to be taken to Kiyv. They also bought suitcases, after observing refugees “struggling with carrying their whole lives in plastic bags”, and hired a car to transport refugees to the train station or to transport medical supplies and food as needed.

Sara said: “Sometimes I was on the UK desk, helping to connect refugees to sponsors in the UK, sometimes I was helping with personal care for disabled refugees, sometimes I was mopping, sometimes I was playing with children.”

While they are returning home Sara said it’s not the end of their efforts, as the pair plan on turning their sights to bettering the system by which the UK welcomes refugees.

The humanitarian centre, an old Tesco, where the pair volunteered, welcomed refugees, offering them a bed, food, the chance to see a doctor and to shower. They were able to visit a desk for the country they would like to go to following on from their stay at the centre.

Under the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine refugee scheme, residents can offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine by becoming a sponsor. Wales is now a super-sponsor, meaning they will no longer need to be sponsored to come to Wales.

But Sara said this is not communicated to the refugee centre, adding volunteers working on the UK desk do not have access to the UK Government’s sponsor list. Instead relying on their own spreadsheets and knowledge of hosts collected by charity Love Bristol.

“We can’t walk away and go back to our normal lives. We’ve got plans. Wales is a super sponsor for Ukraine folk, but it’s not clear to those working on the UK desk that Wales is open to refugees without the need for a sponsor. There’s no government presence on the border to explain this. I will approach my councillor to talk about how we can have a Welsh presence on the border. It’s not good enough.

“I’m not saying it’s the same all over Poland, I don’t have knowledge of the process for every border crossing. This is just based on my own experience.”