Two Tavistock children, spent last Sunday (April 3) holding a homegrown sunflower sale in aid of Ukraine.

Archie and Lottie Squire, five and eight, drew their own posters to advertise the event and sold their sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, from their driveway on what was a sunny Sunday morning.

The siblings have been desperate to help the Ukrainian people and have so far raised £118; they still have 20 more plants to sell.

Mum Leah said: ‘They have really enjoyed doing it. Every time Archie sees a different sunflower we haven’t grown he has to buy it to raise money for the Ukraine. I think we’ve grown seven sorts this year.’

Archie and Lottie are now planning to sell more and have just planted 50 more seeds which they hope will germinate soon.

Archie and Lottie are just two of millions of people across the world who are wish to help the millions of Ukrainians that have fled their country following the Russian invasion.

In Tavistock alone, many people, including mayor Andy Hutton, have opened their homes to Ukrainian refugees through the Government’s new scheme ‘Homes for Ukraine’.

Tavistock builder Colin Clarke has been especially active and is now crossing Europe in his ‘Van for Life’ to transport Ukrainians from a Warsaw refugee centre to new homes. He plans to leave the van at the centre so that other volunteers can use it to take refugees to their new homes.

Last month, Okehampton town councillor Michael Ireland organised a fundraiser at the Charter Hall for the Ukrainian Red Cross which raised over £3,000 for the charity.

Cllr Ireland said he had never seen a fundraiser so busy as hundreds attended to offer support.

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