Rushen and Western Mann Rotary gives £4,000 to Ukrainian orphanage and families

A south of the island Rotary club has put £4,000 into a project supplying power and household equipment to people caught up in the war in Ukraine, Isle of Man Today has reported.

The Rotary Club of Rushen and Western Mann is working on the scheme with Oswestry Borderlands Rotary Club in Shropshire and Shropshire Supports Ukraine, a volunteer group that gathers aid and gets it to civilians affected by the conflict.

According to the report, an orphanage with 120 children has already received a Hyundai diesel generator, a refurbished washing machine and a heavy-duty commercial tumble dryer. The equipment is meant to make life cleaner and more comfortable for the children there.

The remaining funds are earmarked for silent generators for households and communities in the Kharkiv region, near the front line, where electricity supplies are unreliable. Isle of Man Today said how large each generator will be depends on what is needed locally and on technical guidance from people on the ground in Ukraine.

Paul Winnell, of the Rushen and Western Mann club, said clean clothes and reliable warmth were “a basic human dignity that these children deserve”, adding that “power is the next critical frontier”. He said the partnership would help make sure the generators matched each community’s needs, supporting heating, clean water and essential services.

Michael Crowe, who chairs the club’s foundation committee, said the project showed Rotary’s continuing support for Ukraine. He said partnering with groups that have direct links to Ukrainian communities would keep the aid practical and suited to local needs.

The club is one of three Rotary clubs on the island. Details of how to donate are available on its website.