Commitment to Ukraine refugees: Ukraine war: how sailors and clubs can help those in need

Protest against the Russian attack on Ukraine was also the first reaction in the sailing world, followed by a wave of willingness to help. From Friedrichshafen to Flensburg, from Bocholt to Berlin, preparations for the season have taken a back seat. Many sailing clubs, associations and companies are getting involved.

They want to help people who have literally had to leave everything behind. Club houses are being turned into emergency accommodation, and vans are being used to transport relief supplies and refugees instead of sails. Yacht insurers and charter companies are calling on their customers to make donations - the support ranges from small private initiatives to broad-based aid measures on many levels.

"The current situation and the images we see in the media every day are unbearable. As sailors and sportspeople, we know that we have to stand by each other in emergency situations," says Oliver Schwall, Managing Director of Konzeptwerft and Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga (DSBH) GmbH, for example. The DSBH has launched a nationwide aid campaign "We first contacted aid organisations and rescue centres to find out what we could do," explains Schwall.

And that is a lot, as he and his colleagues quickly learnt. So far, 35 sailing clubs throughout Germany have responded to their appeal, providing vehicles and drivers as well as donations in kind and money. "From the moment we thought we had to do something, we were in action within a day. The first buses were already at the limit," says Schwall.

They organise transports for relief supplies to the Ukrainian border and bring refugees to their cities. In a large messenger group, all team managers and clubs are in dialogue every minute. The Germany-wide network enables fast and reliable logistics. Many clubs also support the campaign with financial donations, which are used to pay for the petrol for the transports, among other things.

The fates that the helpers encounter are moving. Some of the children are suffering from cancer; the clinic in Kiev where they were treated in Ukraine was bombed. They cannot survive without chemotherapy. "It's a nightmare," says Oliver Schwall. "We have already driven some of the children to a specialised clinic in Essen for treatment."

The aid is being provided in close cooperation with the established aid organisations on the borders with Ukraine. "They have asked us not to go blindly, because that makes their work even more difficult." The cooperation is coordinated with the German Red Cross, Caritas and other aid organisations: They are happy to draw on the logistics of the organisations from all over Germany. The municipal reception authorities, which have reached the limits of their capacities in many places, are also happy to receive support from the sailing initiative.

If you would like to get involved, you can find all the information about the aid campaign on the DSBL among other things, a valuable, constantly updated List of local collection points for donations in kind, contacts for people who can offer accommodation and donation accounts of aid organisations.

As not all refugees can be accommodated in private accommodation, they have to find temporary accommodation elsewhere. For example, in the Düsseldorf exhibition centres. So far, 1,000 people who have lost everything have been accommodated there.

"We were very happy to accommodate the corresponding request from the City of Düsseldorf's Office for Migration and Integration," says Wolfram N. Diener, CEO of Messe Düsseldorf. "On the set-up day, a large number of colleagues spontaneously pitched in to make the accommodation possible as quickly as possible. Because we are deeply saddened by the plight of the refugees. Welcoming and accommodating them is a matter of course for us," says Diener.

Last Monday, partitions were used to divide a 25,000 square metre hall into small rooms and shower containers were set up. The beds were already occupied in the afternoon. Free Wi-Fi is available to all refugees. This allows them to keep in touch with family and friends and find out about developments in their home country.

The Mühlenberger Segel-Club (MSC) and the Blankeneser Segel-Cub (BSC) spontaneously converted their clubhouses into temporary accommodation last weekend. They responded to an appeal from the Großflottbek gymnastics and hockey club. "The idea is to give people on their long journey the opportunity to come to rest for a moment," writes the BSC on its website. 40 guests had to be accommodated and provided with clothing and food. While they were still being driven to Hamburg, one of the drivers wrote: "If you're wondering what they're bringing: nothing!"

Grit Müller, club manager of the Mühlenberger Segel-Club, reports: "Once we knew how many people were coming and at what age, we were able to ask specifically for clothing donations." The willingness to help was overwhelming. She adds that everyone used their networks to provide people with the essentials.

Moni Sörensen from the BSC and Ellen Jensen from the MSC coordinated the quick transformation of the clubhouse into accommodation for their guests. They then travelled to Lake Garda for training with mixed feelings. But even there they found great support for their commitment: "The Vela Torbole Yacht Club and the Hotel Villa Stella immediately launched a fundraising campaign. We will be returning home with lots of donations," they both report on the phone.

The first refugees arrived there on Sunday. "Everyone cried when they arrived. We are not prepared for something like this," says Grit Müller. The families are now moving one by one and have been offered flats from Hamburg-Billstedt to Heiligenhafen. The last family will move into their new accommodation on Saturday.

"Then we return to the parallel world of normal life," says Grit Müller. The clubhouse is also not suitable as permanent accommodation. "But we will stay in contact with the families and consider other ways to help."

If you know of any small or large aid campaigns from sailing circles for which you would like to ask for support, please write to us: mail@yacht.de