Thousands of toiletries, toys and winter clothing are being donated to help the Afghan refugees who will soon be arriving in Perthshire.
PKAVS Minority Communities’ Hub will be making up ‘welcome packs’ for the incoming families to help them settle in and set up their new home in Scotland.
Hundreds of people have been walking through the charity’s doors this week to drop off donations, from a single bag full of shopping, to minibuses bursting full of essentials.
‘Literally thousands’ donated to PKAVS
Donations include soap, hand sanitiser, shampoo, hats, gloves and scarves, children’s toys and books, and “literally thousands” of toothbrushes and toothpaste.
A number of schools in the area got involved in the donation drive as well, including Our Lady’s RC Primary School, St Ninian’s Episcopal Primary School and Kilgraston School, and others such as Broxden Dental Hospital, Broke Not Broken, and Crieff Soroptimists.
Lori Hughes from PKAVS Minority Communities’ Hub said: “I think everyone has seen the coverage of what is going on geopolitically in Afghanistan and the vast majority of people have felt moved by the images they have seen.
“This is about providing an avenue for communities to get involved.
We're running out of ways to say thank you to everyone who contributed to our collection for refugee welcome packs. The warmth, kindness and generosity we have witnessed over the last week has been phenomenal. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you Perth & Kinross! 💜 pic.twitter.com/w3ynTvgWtt
— PKAVS (@PKAVScharity) September 3, 2021
“We have seen the very best of the third sector, the voluntary sector and communities during Covid.
“Everyone stepped up, and this is another great avenue for individuals and families to get involved in offering a welcoming experience to the Afghan families that will be arriving in Perth and Kinross.”
Welcome packs to help incoming families
This comes after Perth and Kinross Council officially agreed this week to take in six Afghan families – or 10 individuals – who are fleeing the country after the Taliban took control of the capital Kabul.
Thousands of Afghan refugees are already making their way to the UK or are in UK quarantine, and are due to be resettled up and down the country in the coming weeks.
Around 100,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan before the US-imposed deadline of August 31, and approximately 10,000 of them are due to come to the UK to be resettled.
A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council says those coming to Perthshire will be in their new homes by the end of September.
Earlier this week Angus Robertson MSP, constitution, external affairs and culture secretary, said Scotland was ready to welcome Afghan refugees, after the success of the Syrian resettlement programme across the country.
The Scottish Government also said it would spend £250,000 on humanitarian aid to help the people of Afghanistan.