As Ukraine continues to face the devastating effects of Russia’s illegal invasion, the creative sector will continue to come together to find and share ways to offer meaningful help to those affected.
From donations and practical support to preventing disinformation, we’ve listed some of the ways we can help below. Please let us know of other activities and campaigns that are happening.
Sign our open letter
Show your solidarity by signing our open letter to Ukrainian writers, illustrators and translators, and sharing within your networks.
Donations and fundraising
Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)
Donate to the DEC fundraising appeal to help provide food, water, shelter and medical assistance to those affected by the war in Ukraine.
Poets for Ukraine
Poets for Ukraine, in partnership with The Society of Authors, The Poetry Society The Poetry School and JW3, are hosting a Poem-a-Thon and Gala event on 27 March (online and JW3) to raise money for Goods for Good and Hope and Aid Direct.
#BrightonDrawNotWar
70 authors and illustrators created a prize raffle to raise money for the Disasters Emergency Committee (ends 24 March).
Book Aid for Ukraine auction
Members of the publishing industry are donating prizes like signed books, author lunches and agent 1-1s in an online fundraising auction with proceeds going to British Ukrainian Aid.
Practical support
Homes for Ukraine
Individuals, charities, community groups and businesses can volunteer accommodation and provide a route to safety for Ukrainians through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Jobs for Ukraine
A volunteer-run jobs site collating academic, scientific, arts, professional and freelance opportunities that are currently available for people fleeing war.
Tackling disinformation
Depositphotos image bank
Ukraine-based image library Depositphotos has launched a free image bank of the war to raise awareness and tackle disinformation.
BBC advice
Read tips on spotting fake posts and avoiding spreading disinformation from the BBC.
Giving meaningful support
Some advice on making sure we are helping in a targeted and sustainable way as the crisis continues. (With thanks for the tips below to freelance translator Judith Fagelson, who works for World Jewish Relief (writing in a personal capacity))
Pace your support
Right now there is a huge influx of support and attention, masses of funding coming in, offers of in-kind donation, volunteering – all of it needed, all of it welcome. But this is going to be a long-term grind. It is likely to be protracted. Even if it were to end tomorrow, the reconstruction and rebuilding of lives will take years.
Inevitably media attention will turn elsewhere, this groundswell of support will drop off. So, the single best piece of advice I can give would be to be patient, and to continue to be there offering support in months and years down the line. It is better to offer less, but to offer it consistently than to offer a large amount, once.
Donate funds, not goods
There are definitely huge material needs, both among those in Ukraine and those who have fled, or are fleeing. The greatest needs right now are for food, water, pharmaceuticals, medication. However – for the moment, at least – these goods can be procured locally and so the most cost- and time-efficient way to get the right things to the right people is to donate funds, either directly to organisations in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, or to international organisations with a presence there (such as World Jewish Relief).
Attend solidarity rallies and protests
Events in London are organised here. Most, if not all, university towns also have a Ukrainian society, and most of those are organising local rallies.
Challenge disinformation
This is particularly relevant to people who speak Russian, or who know anyone in Russia, but is also sound advice for all. As you are no doubt aware, mainstream Russian news – and fringe journalism outside Russia – paints this war as a peacekeeping operation aimed at ‘liberating’ Russians in Ukraine from fascist rule and genocide. Challenging disinformation is gruelling and often thankless, but it is so important.
Ukrainian-based media:
- The Kyiv Independent (English language)
- Novosti Donbasa (Russian language)
- Hromadske Radio (Ukrainian and English language)
Russian independent media:
- Meduza.io (English & Russian language)
- OVD-info.org (Russian language)
- Novaya Gazeta (Russian language)