Communication Workers Union Humanitarian Aid (CWUHA) is a registered trade union charitable organisation that operates mainly in Eastern Europe, in the UK and Tanzania. CWUHA was set up in 1995 by CWU Telecom and Postal Union Officials in response to an appeal from trade unionists living in War torn Bosnia, in particular the town of Tuzla. The first humanitarian aid convoy arrived in Tuzla in July 1995. The determination to deliver the aid direct to those who needed it most, cutting out the risk of it falling into the hands of self-interest middlemen, set the agenda for every CWUHA convoy that was to follow.

CWUHA gained charitable status in 1998 and with the support of Royal Mail and BT (who loan us vehicles & supply fuel) developed new aid routes to Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Transnistria and Albania delivering direct, thousands of tons of aid to hundreds of orphanages, hospitals, schools and vulnerable families.

To build on our successes CWUHA gained new supporters like CWU Ireland, AnPost and Eir (Irish based companies who also supplied vehicles and fuel),  Service providers like Simpson Millar, UnionLine and Pellacraft also chipped in. Their involvement guaranteed that we could continue in our work to help disadvantaged children.

In addition to convoys CWUHA has funded renovations including Social Assistance to Foster & Adoption Centres, a playground area at a hospital that cares for children with disabilities and a Centre for Street Children in Moldova. All these projects kept children off the streets and away from harm.

We also fund a number of education projects in Tanzania. The Kilima Hewa kindergarten was being run out of the home of one of the locals and provides early years education for children that cannot afford to go to a local school. Thanks to our involvement it now has five classrooms, school library/computer room, toilets, new playground and electricity.

CWUHA sponsor 50 children at the centre and pay the wages for an extra teacher. We also sponsor a number children through secondary education and a football academy, supplying equipment and football kits.

CWUHA have donated thousands of pounds towards the Tsunami and Haiti Appeals and to the families affected by earthquakes in India, Pakistan and Turkey. We also delivered, via a third party, tons of clothing to street children in Mongolia.

In September 2015 we joined forces with an amazing charity called Mad-Aid which thanks to the vision of their inspirational founder Victoria Dunford saw the opening of a centre for disabled and disadvantaged children in Moldova. The centre was opened by the Moldovan Prime-Minister and named The Phoenix Complex. It must be remembered that the former communist states did not have facilities for disabled children. Children and young people with disabilities were usually locked away in institutions or within their homes, never interacting with other young people and being socially excluded from everyday activities. It is now great to see those young people interacting and developing new skills for everyday life. The centre also provides wheelchairs and has and early intervention and rehabilitation program for children with special needs. Delivering a staggering 36000 therapies free of charge.

To give children the chance to have fun, get fit and meet new friends CWUHA and our partners Mad-Aid run a U-13/14 Boys and Girls CWUHA Annual Football Tournament in Moldova with close to 200 children taking part.

With the support of Pellacraft, Oakley Sports Club, CWU Branches/Regions and the company Dimensions we provided footy kits, trainers, footballs and training equipment for each team. Every single player also receives a medal, certificate and goodie bag. The British Ambassador and local dignitaries attend the event, which is covered by national TV and radio stations. The smiles on the faces of the kids and the coaches make all the hard work so worthwhile.

In 2015 we also witnessed the refugees fleeing the war in their native countries and entering Europe with very little warm clothing or food and with the cold harsh winter due to arrive there was a call for help. CWUHA rose to the challenge and sent two convoys of aid to refugee camps in Hungary and Bulgaria. The sights that greeted the drivers were quite harrowing, they came back with stories of children and elderly people starving; but the usual reaction was “when can we go back”. To continue helping those unfortunate people still in war torn Syria we filled two 40 foot containers with medical supplies, bedding, clothing and food that was delivered to hospitals in Idlib.

2022 saw us responding to the unfolding crisis brought about by Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine. A humanitarian crisis which went far beyond the borders of Ukraine and into the neighbouring countries of Poland, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and even reaching countries in western Europe.

The CWUHA put out an urgent appeal and CWU branches responded magnificently with both financial and material contributions. Royal Mail loaned us two vehicles which allowed us to ship over 30 tonnes of much needed aid, kindly donated by members of the NMCC family Church in Neath, to a state run aid station in Poland.

Members of the NMCC family Church put us in contact with some great people from Swansea Bay NHS Trust who offered us equipment from a decommissioned Nightingale hospital. They donated over 450 unused field beds, bedside cabinets, drip stands, screens and over bed tables and they later donated 198 brand new intensive care beds. All of this equipment was transported to sites in Ukraine and Moldova to assist with the refugee crisis. The aid was valued at over one million pounds.

We continue to work with our partners and will be delivering more aid to refugees in Moldova this year.

WORK IN THE UK

Though the majority of our work has been focused on other countries CWUHA has raised and donated thousands of pounds to many good causes in the UK, including hospices, a holiday home for children with life threatening illnesses, family domestic abuse refuge centres, communities and foodbanks that help feed disadvantaged families.

CWUHA has also helped fund specialised operations and equipment for children in the UK and donated thousands of pounds to help families impacted by the floods in Cumbria.

We have donated food and gifts to community hubs and charities to help the most vulnerable in the North East, North West and Midlands.

Due to COVID it was decided to cancel the CWUHA 2020/21 May and September convoys to Moldova and divert aid that was stored at our warehouse in Leyland i.e. hand soap, bars of soap, bleach, washing up liquid, nappies, toothbrushes and assorted toiletries to UK foodbanks.

NEW PARTNERSHIP

In 2020 CWUHA entered into a partnership with Blackpool Coastal Housing (BCH) who run a domestic abuse refuge centre that care for children and families fleeing domestic abuse from across the UK. The Emergency Housing Team also help vulnerable homeless young adults find accommodation.

Families usually arrive at the hostel with only the clothes on their backs. They have left their homes and come to the hostel to find a safe and calm environment, at this point they are in vital need of the bare necessities.

CWUHA provide an emergency pack for new families that will include all the essential items that they may need to include but not limited to food, clothes, pyjamas, baby products, toiletries and towels. We will also buy items for the children to include school clothes and coats, school shoes, school bags and lunch boxes as well as other School Equipment.

CWUHA also fund days out for the children residing in homeless centres to Gulliver’s World and Alton Towers. For many children this is the first time they have ever set foot in an amusement park.

2025 is CWUHA’s 30^th Anniversary and we have dedicated this year’s special project to one of our greatest ambassadors Andy Kerr the former CWU Deputy General Secretary who sadly passed away last year.

Working with Mad-Aid we are helping to rebuild and refurb The Children’s Surgery Ward at The Institute of Mother and Child the largest hospital in Moldova, the poorest country in Europe. This ward has not been repaired or re-equipped since 1986 and is in a deplorable state. For a hospital ward, hygiene conditions do not meet even the minimum standards for patient protection. Nevertheless, the staff perform miracles under these conditions.

CWUHA has agreed to fund the purchase of the furniture, electrical equipment and to provide a new play area. We will also be delivering medical equipment and supplies for the Ward in September where hopefully, a member of Andy’s family will officially unveil a plaque in the ward dedicated to the memory of Andy.

With your support, CWUHA can continue ‘to deliver smiles’.