December 2025 News
Today Rosie quoted a message she had received from Nadia, Deputy Head of School 73.
‘We are just trying to do everything we can, where we are, in our own place.’
That sentence resonates with the work of The Scrubbery. We are all trying to do everything we can.
Image from Max Beck at Unsplash
Our Partners
It is a good moment to remind ourselves of the groups that we work with who provide transport for the deliveries to Ukraine. This is a perilous task in a war zone.
EmbraceMe Foundation is the organisation that handles the finances for the ambulances and the vehicles that Dimitri drives to Ukraine throughout the year. We work together with the foundation to buy ambulances and ship aid. Lynda from Ascot also works under this umbrella.
Medical Lifelines Ukraine works with us on fund raising, request lists and shipments.
Alexei, is a Ukrainian, who autonomously buys, services and delivers vehicles for the military which we fill with aid.
Pickups4Peace, who drive out utility and four-wheel drive trucks, and also fill these vehicles with aid from us and others.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all these brave people. The last shipment of the year has been sent to Ukraine with Dimitri. During the winter the loads have to be lighter. Unless the vehicle has chains or snow tyres, it is too perilous to drive.
Just a reminder again that Rosie cannot post photos of deliveries being made as it is too dangerous for the recipients.
Dimitri wrote this message recently, which gives some insight into how people are managing in Kyiv and why we continue to support these brilliant, resilient and resourceful people.
“Kyiv is a city where there is no electricity, but there is pistachio latte because generators buzz like beetles over cherries in coffee shops.
Kyiv is a city where for several days there is no electricity or water, but all my friends have clear heads because they leave the lamps in their bedrooms on overnight, and when they turn on the electricity at two in the morning and suddenly have water, they explode and run to the shower.
Kyiv is a city where for several days there is no electricity, water and heat, but the girls have fresh manicures. Because it's a holiday. Because they want to. Because the manicurists have portable UV flashlights to dry the nail polish, and big blogger lamps from a power bank for backlighting.
In Kyiv, a city where for several days there is no electricity, then water, then heat, then communication, then everything at the same time - there is fresh bread in the stores. The shelves are full of all kinds of food. The garbage is taken out. The snow is cleared. The traffic lights are not working for one day, but there are no more accidents on the streets than there always have been. It seems even less.
Someday, history textbooks will write about a nation in which not only warriors defeated barbarians, but also civilians managed to remain civilised in artificially created barbaric conditions. Managed to maintain their usual civilised way of life, wherever possible.
I don't know how.
It's a miracle."
Image from Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash
Call out for candle wax, beeswax, cottonwool balls and make up removal cotton discs
One of our colleagues in a partner agency has spoken of the vital importance of the trench candles. A close friend of hers, Yuri in Karmatorsk, who is deployed on the front line said, “Trench candles are very much needed. They are priority, as are solar batteries.”
Please collect all your post-Christmas candle stubs
You may be wondering about the cottonwool balls and discs we asked for in the last newsletter.
These will be coated with candle wax or beeswax and sent out to the troops, who use them as fire-starters, When they are ready to build a fire, they pull out a few strands of cotton wool from the ball, place them under the wood and light them up. The cotton ignites quickly and burns long enough to get the fire going, even with damp or cold wood.
Sewing team
Some beautiful girls’ dresses have been made from donated curtain fabric.
At this time of year, we would like to extend our grateful thanks to everyone at the Oasis Academy Putney for their continued support and for providing us with a home in this beautiful building. Without their help we would not be able to do the work that we do.
Scrubbery volunteers assemble and decorate trees for Oasis Disco
Wishing you all every happiness at Christmas and throughout the coming year.
Thank you to everyone who helps us. You are incredible!
Image from Jamie Street on Unsplash
