Salvation Army launches vouchers for Ukrainian refugees

Ukrainians fleeing to Scotland are being given vital support thanks to a new voucher scheme by The Salvation Army.

The church and charity is working with its trading company and local authorities around the country to offer refugees £30 to spend on clothes and other essentials at its network of shops.

The scheme is the idea of Major James Elliot, who leads The Salvation Army’s emergency response team in the east of Scotland.

The vouchers have now been sent to councils across the country to provide support to people arriving from Ukraine as well as other parts of the world.

James said: “We're delighted to be able to work with a number of agencies and groups to provide extra support to refugees coming into the country.

"We spoke to colleagues in the trading arm of The Salvation Army, which oversees most of our shops, and they were happy to support the scheme of providing vouchers for clothes and other essentials.

“All councils in Scotland can apply for the vouchers which can then go directly to people arriving in Scotland. Hopefully the scheme will reach as many as possible.”

Nicola Crawford, regional manager for the Salvation Army Trading Company, (SATCoL) said: “Through the generosity of our donors and customers in Scotland we’re able to offer good quality clothes, furniture and other provisions, and our priority is to provide for those in the local community who are in need. 

“Anyone using the voucher scheme will receive a warm welcome in our shops. We are delighted to work with our colleagues to help those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.”

To support the voucher scheme, you can donate to The Salvation Army at https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/scotland-office