AROUND five tonnes of goods have left Haworth bound for Ukraine.

The items – for pregnant women, and new mums and their babies – were collected by Haworth & Worth Valley Rotary Club.

Freemasons’ Hall in Mill Hey, Haworth, served as a collection centre.

Donated goods ranged from baby clothes to blankets and toiletries.

The items left initially for a depot in Berkshire, before being despatched to Lviv where distribution is being co-ordinated by the city's Rotary club.

Ian Park, president of the Haworth & Worth Valley club, said the public response to the collection had been "overwhelming".

He added: "The community has really stepped up to the mark and we thank people for their generosity.

"Keighley’s Good Shepherd Centre donated a van full of hand sanitiser and personal protection equipment, which is fantastic.

"We also received a £1,000 grant from Rotary District of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire towards the transport costs, which helped make the operation viable.

"The success of this has been helped by our partnership with Haworth’s Masonic Lodge of the Three Graces, which hosted us over a weekend, and the Yorkshire Logistics Group of Bradford which provided the transport to Berkshire. It’s been a team effort."