Trade raises funds and delivers aid to Ukraine refugees


Harry Kemble and Samantha Mayling


Members of the trade ramped up efforts to support Ukrainian refugees as the Russian invasion continued this week. Farsley Travel director Neil


Crawford set up a JustGiving page to help house refugees at a hostel in Odrzykoń, Poland – less than 100 miles from the Ukrainian border – earlier this month. More than £2,200 has been


donated so far to accommodate and feed 62 refugees, but Crawford is urging people to continue


contributing before the money runs out on March 24. He said: “I felt absolutely helpless


watching the news. I thought I cannot sit here and do nothing. This is Europe in 2022. If anyone wants to donate, their money will help and go directly to the hostel.” Poland-based Insight Vacations


tour guide Tim Pendlebury, who took supplies to the border after the Russian invasion began and returned with two Ukrainians, has collected £9,600 in donations. The money is going to a Polish charity that helps Ukrainians as they cross the border. Pendlebury has since brought


Ukrainian families at the Odrzykoń hostel


Tim Pendlebury (right) helped Tetiana and Mykola, who escaped from Kyiv


more Ukrainian families to his home and helped them with onward journeys. Currently, he is hosting Katija and her three children, Dimitrou, aged 13, Mark, eight, and eight-month-old Maria. “She was absolutely distraught


when the volunteers at the border introduced us,” he said. “They will stay with us as long as they need.” Hays Travel agent Carla Hodgson,


who drove 1,400 miles across Europe to deliver supplies to refugees in Romania, plans to make the same humanitarian trip again. First-aid kits, nappies and toys were part of the 10-ton aid delivery transported by


the four-vehicle convoy – including Hodgson and her husband Jason in their van – last week. Speaking after leaving the Speranță


Pentru Viitor camp in north Romania, she said: “Maybe if the conflict continues, we’ll plan another journey.” Hodgson admitted she was emotional when leaving the refugees behind. Meanwhile, a branch of Hays


Travel in Norwich has been collecting supplies for a local appeal that is taking donations to help


Ukrainian refugees. i Donations can be made via: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/crawford-aid @travelling_insighttim


Shapps scraps PLF and testing curbs Ian Taylor


Transport secretary Grant Shapps confirmed the removal of remaining Covid travel restrictions on Monday, including the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) and test requirements for unvaccinated travellers. The government’s Covid


Operations Committee signed off on removing the restrictions from 4am this Friday, March 18, triggering a jubilant industry reaction. A leading airline source said: “It’s the return of free movement.” Shapps announced the news on


Twitter, saying the PLF and Covid tests would be “stood down”. The government has yet to spell out


4 17 MARCH 2022


plans to deal with any new variant of concern but said it would “maintain contingency measures in reserve”, suggesting the PLF and testing could be reintroduced. However, the “approach will be to use the least stringent measures to minimise the impact on travel and contingency measures will only be implemented in extreme circumstances”. An aviation source said: “People


still face potential restrictions going to destinations and there remains a risk. A variant of concern will emerge at some point and we don’t know how the government will respond.” The source noted: “Border Force


documents discuss retaining health screening into 2023. The government may want to retain the capacity to


People still face


potential [Covid] restrictions going to destinations and there remains a risk


have the PLF in case of variants.” A second aviation source agreed:


“We need a policy on how to handle a variant of concern and we’ve had no answers on that. It is frustrating. Something is bound to come up. We need to know the policy.” Aviation minister Robert Courts


pledged last week that plans to deal with variants would be “proportionate”, telling an Airlines UK dinner in


London: “We will not become addicted to bureaucratic restrictions.” However, the EU extended the


life of its Digital Covid Certificate (DCC) last week to the end of June 2023, suggesting restrictions on those not fully vaccinated could remain in Europe despite some member states removing all restrictions. Ireland scrapped its PLF last week


and Greece was due to do the same from Tuesday this week. Switzerland also removed its PLF but requires carriers to check whether passengers are vaccinated. One airline source said: “At no


point in the pandemic has the EU had a harmonised approach. We don’t expect that to be any different now. We expect differences for some time.”


travelweekly.co.uk


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