We’ve all seen the devastating events in Ukraine in recent months. The destruction has led to a multitude of challenges for the people of Ukraine; lack of medical and food supplies, people out of work (leading to financial issues), and of course the loss of homes, hospitals, schools, and telecoms/communication.
The question is, how can we as individuals and as companies support Ukraine in the short term and the long term?
This is where we welcome the fantastic duo Gary Edwards and Jon Boriss, two Blackpool-based entrepreneurs who are uniting local businesses in aid of the people of Ukraine with their non-profit community interest company, Project Fenix.
Gary Edwards is a Partner of Lateo Hospitality and owner of Cyber Security Consultancy, Lateo Risk. He’s a British Army Veteran with a wealth of experience in hostile environments gained from several years in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since leaving the Army he has worked as a Security Consultant for a number of high-profile clients across the world.
Jon Boriss is a partner of Digital Agency, Meridian Marketing, and Meridian Estates & Lettings. Jon has spent his career in Photography and Marketing, working with numerous hospitality businesses across the UK.
They first deployed to Ukraine on the fifth day of the invasion, to assess the situation and see where help was needed. Aid was getting to the border but not the frontlines, due to the abruptness of the invasion. The biggest needs were trauma and medkits through the border across Ukraine, for the military and civilians.
After facing challenges at the border and setting up warehouses, they were able to create supply roots to get through to the most vulnerable areas.
With critical aid now reaching the country, they are focusing now to help the citizens get back into working in a remote capacity and help reduce Ukraine’s financial pressures.
Project Fenix are delivering a new service line aimed at creating jobs for out of work Ukrainian people and partnering them up with British SMEs. This provides an income for stability whilst also facilitating service provision for SMEs who may be struggling financially due to the impact of COVID-19.
Project Fenix are helping people with different skill sets to be cross trained for different roles, whilst also providing them with the technology and kits to get things up and running.
All donations and self-revenue/profit from the service stream go towards the long-term reconstruction projects such as rebuilding hospitals, schools, parks, and other community-focused infrastructure. Donations will also go towards the urgent need for vehicles to navigate through the rough terrain in Ukraine.
InfoSec People are proud to be supporting such an important cause. We will be donating to Project Fenix for every placement we make in our first financial quarter.
For more information about Project Fenix and the different ways you can support and donate, visit their website below.
