Urgent appeal to European Football organisations to help Ukraine

Urgent appeal to European Football organisations to help Ukraine

At least two million people have fled their homes to escape conflict in Ukraine. Leaving behind belongings and loved ones, they now face an uncertain future. The war in Ukraine is threatening the lives and livelihoods of civilians across the country. Families have been separated. People have been injured. Lives have been lost.

Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk, a member of EFDN, participates in setting and running an emergency ‘Shelter Centre’ in Lviv Stadium in Lviv, Ukraine.

EFDN is launching an urgent appeal to football clubs, leagues and associations across Europe to support an emergency ‘Shelter Centre’ in Lviv Stadium in Lviv, Ukraine. The need for safe refuge is becoming rapidly more desperate as terrified people flee war-torn towns and cities across the country. However, with few safe havens remaining, Shakhtar alongside local authorities utilise the Lviv Stadium to open its doors to those in need.

Lviv Stadium is in the far western part of Ukraine – where many homeless people have already fled. The Shelter Centre will seek to support and accommodate many of these people as they try to escape the horrors sweeping their country. To succeed, Lviv Arena urgently needs Europe’s clubs and associations to supply essential items – particularly mattresses, travel cots, blankets, pillows and bed linen.

Polish football club Legia Warsaw, together with their charitable arm Legia Foundation has already offered their stadium as a collection and distribution centre for these priority items. From there, Shakthar Donetsk will arrange for the items to be delivered to the Lviv Stadium. EFDN will act as coordinator for all clubs, leagues, FAs and fan groups that are willing to support this initiative.

Therefore, EFDN calls on all its member organisations and their partners to collect the items that are needed urgently at the Lviv Arena Shelter and/or to raise funds that support this cause. You can find the items that are needed in the attached list. 

Organisations that want to participate can contact EFDN at helpukraine@efdn.org  to register their initiative and can then start immediately organising collections, or fundraising and purchasing priority items.  To manage the flow of all materials in good order, please contact EFDN before you ship your items to the Stadium of Legia Warsaw. 

We hope that a lot of football organisations will answer this call for support and that we can help the people in need in Ukraine. 

Thanks for your support!

Shakhtar Donetsk FC, Legia Warsaw, EFDN