Six kind-hearted 'average Joe's' has traveled over 3,000 miles to drop donations off at the Polish-Ukraine border and is helping to find families or care centres to house 21 women and children in Germany.

The organiser of Allen Valleys Help for Ukraine, Tony Beck is joined by his wife Linda Beck and four volunteers for 'a mission' to help families in Poland and Ukraine by taking donations over from the people in the North East.

The idea first came about when Tony saw the news about the bombing in Ukraine and felt that he had to do something.

"I saw the huge impact of the war it has had on residents in Ukraine and I felt like we could do something to help, " Tony, of Allendale, said.

 "I thought that the government was taking too long with the visas, so there must be 'something a group of average Joe's' could do - something that would help while that was being processed.

"I got two vehicles together, one a seven-seater minibus from my comapny, along with  sleeping bags and other items we had.

"I then went to the Polish centre in Newcastle to fill up with all the donations, which has been gathered and filled the vans.

"They asked what I was going to charge them for helping but I of course said nothing."

To get to the Poland borders, which is a 3,000 mile journey, the group has been able to make the journey with the help of the kindness of the community on their Just Giving page which they have raised £5,350.

Tony said: "The money will go towards petrol, as it is expensive everywhere and anything we do not use will be donated to the Red Cross.

"It became real this morning, as we set off. 

"The moment of fear as the reality of what we were doing but we still feel the need that we need to help those in Ukraine/Polish borders."

The group set off at 1pm this afternoon (11 March) and are now on the ferry.

To donate to the group, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/allendaleukraineappeal?utm_id=107&fbclid=IwAR1vNxx2WNQSuGn5sw3yEg3a9lfPD8c8UHLlycW4nb4juJk9HTX-GTSi744