PARENTS and children at a much-loved sport club have gone above and beyond to help Ukranian refugees.

The Lawford Football Club in School Lane, in Lawford, has raised both cash and essential items in aid of everyone affected by the humanitarian crisis.

The donations come following an appeal from Colchester's Anti-Loo Roll Brigade, which was set up during the first lockdown to assist vulnerable residents in the area.

The voluntary organisation has already sent six lorries to Ukraine as well as several vans to Poland with supplies from the local community.

The group is also working to support doctors and nurses in Ukraine though bulk buying medical supplies, diabetes, cancer drugs and saline in Romania, while arranging deliveries where they are needed the most.

Volunteer Shelley Bellett, who organised the Lawford Football Club's fundraising, said: “We asked for any donations of bedding, first aid and essential supplies, and the response was overwhelming.

"I thought I would be able to take everything to the Colchester collection point myself, but we had so much we needed an extra team of volunteers and a convoy of cars to transfer everything.

"We also lots of cash donations; the support from Lawford was incredible.”