Ukrainian humanitarian aid

Staff and students support the Ukrainian humanitarian aid effort

Catherine Lee, Beauty tutor at Bishop Auckland College has helped to raise a huge donation of goods in support of the Ukrainian humanitarian aid.

Catherine is friends with Mel Conlon, who’s wife is Ukrainian. Mel and his wife live in Darlington and Mel has a business called Inside Home and Gardens. His wife still has family in Kyiv, Ukraine and they wanted to get aid to support their family and friends back home. They had to act swiftly to meet the transport deadline.

In 48 hours Catherine has resourcefully coordinated along with her colleagues in the Beauty team and with help from staff and students 100 bags and boxes of clothes and other essential products.

Her friend Lyn Kemp who works in the clothing department at Tesco in Newton Aycliffe organised towels and baby supplies. Bishop Auckland College nursery also donated baby nappies and over 10 bags of baby clothes. Donations were dropped off at Pat Lee’s barbers in Shildon and Bird Taxi’s also based in Shildon helped by collecting the supplies and bringing them centrally to the collection point at the college.

Catherine said: “I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated to the collection and the support from Tesco, Birds Taxi’s and Pat Lee’s barbers plus a huge thank you to all of the staff and students who helped us sort, bag and label the items. It has all been delivered in super quick 48hours turn-around which was amazing! A special mention needs to be given to Mel Conlon who has been coordinating the collections across Bishop Auckland, Shildon, Darlington and Middlesbrough and he has organised an articulated lorry to send all the donations. Without him and his wife this would not be possible”.

From L to R: Geraldine Metcalf (Head of Dept) , Eileen Steel (Technician) , Rebecca Richardson*, Catherine Lee (Beauty tutor) , Mel Conlon, Adelle Garnett (Beauty tutor) , Chloe Brown* and Shauna Jackson*

*Beauty students