A teenager from Leamington Spa visiting Aberystwyth during the half-term has leant a helping hand to Penparcau Hub’s Ukraine ‘shoebox’ project.

Fourteen-year-old Daisy Chambers and five of her school friends came from Warwickshire to stay with her grandparents, Sue and Julian Davies, in Trefechan.

After visiting a number of popular spots in Ceredigion, on their final morning, Daisy and her friends pooled some of their holiday pocket money and – topped up by Daisy’s grandparents – they shopped in Aberystwyth for everyday essentials for the Hub’s Ukraine ‘shoebox’ project.

Decisions had to be made to get the best value out of the money they had in choosing useful items and some treats as well.

At the Hub, Jenny Jenkins gave a brief overview of how the project started and the involvement of Ukraine Train, a charity based in Cwmbran of which she and Phil Westbury are both volunteers.

Daisy and her friends were shown pictures of previous aid delivered, which involves collecting aid at Penparcau, boxing and labelling it and transporting it to Cwmbran to join a convoy across the channel to Belgium or all the way to the Poland-Ukraine border.

The teenagers each prepared a Christmas shoebox of items suitable for teenagers like themselves.

Jenny said: “It was very humbling to meet the six youngsters and share with them what we are doing at the Penparcau Hub for the Ukraine crisis. I am grateful to Sue and Julian for introducing me to Daisy and her friends and for their support.”