People in Bolton will have another chance to do their bit to help refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine when a ‘giving tree’ comes to town.

The giving tree display will be launched at the front of the Market Place shopping centre in Bolton town centre, on the ground floor near the Sky Kiosk, on Tuesday July 12 by Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain Bolton branch chairman Yaroslaw Tymchyshyn.

It will consist of two blossom trees with tags that members of the public can take off and use to make donations, with Mr Tymchyshyn set to be joined by representatives of some of the Ukranian families who have recently arrived in the UK.

Market Place centre manager Rachel Townsend said: “Like everybody in the UK we are deeply concerned about the welfare of Ukrainians facing Russia in this unjust war.”

The Bolton News:

Bolton has hosted a number of rallies in support of the people of Ukraine

She added: “We wanted to create an area inside the centre where we can make a very public display of our support for Ukraine and also where our visitors can help welcome Ukrainian refugees to Bolton by donating gift vouchers from our stores.”

The giving tree display will all people who take off its tags to donate gift vouchers from the Market Place stores to refugees from Ukraine who have just arrived in the borough.

Once the gift vouchers have been donated, they will be supplied directly to a Ukrainian family assigned to a Bolton host through the Bolton branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, based at the Bolton Ukrainian Cultural Centre.

Bolton is home to a historic Ukrainian community which, since the crisis began has been holding regular collections to help their war-torn ancestral homeland along with demonstrations opposing Russian military aggression.

The first of the refugees arrived and were settled in Bolton in April with more expected to join then as the devastating conflict continues in their homeland.

As well as the giving tree, this week a choir of Ukrainians will also be performing in Market Place at 1pm on Saturday July 16 to give local people a further opportunity to celebrate the links between Bolton and the Ukraine.