High Five: Pro AV’s Merson Group Organizing, Funding Critical Supplies Trucks For Ukraine

March 7, 2022 by Dave Haynes

Well done to the Glasgow-based traditional and digital signage firm Merson Group, which is using its resources and business ties to help out Ukrainians from a distance.

Taking pains to stress this is not a “look at us/virtue-signalling” thing, the company has a post up on Linkedin talking about what it has been doing since the Russian tanks rolled in from Russia.

We wanted to go public about the crisis in Ukraine and what we’re doing as a result. Like everyone, we are deeply saddened and distressed by the unfolding humanitarian situation and initially, as a small group of people, we felt powerless to assist. Then our first thought was to help our own, having 15 Ukrainian colleagues at our site in Poland who are in an unbelievably difficult situation. 
 
Their primary concern is to get aid to their families and friends who remain in Ukraine and they have sourced vehicles and drivers to deliver essential supplies to them from Poland. They need to buy these supplies, so Merson staff have raised over £2,500 and through Merson Group, inurface media and Merson Digital, the fund has been trebled with the supply mission now underway. 
 
We are now looking at the longer term and are funding a truck every week to take goods from our site in Basildon to Poland for dispatch into Ukraine – or to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Our first truck left today with an additional very generous contribution from the Polish White Eagle Club in London, who have been inundated with donations and were looking for help with transport. Our thanks to the Club and to HMRC for promptly assisting us with advice on the customs clearance. 
 
We are looking for other organisations or parties who have consolidated donated goods that they want transported to Poland for Ukrainian refugees! If you are in the Essex area, then please let us know by replying to this post. 
 
We want to be clear. This is not about saying “look at us” or us looking for any recognition. This is about showing that we can all act and make a difference. How our individual and joint business resources can work in unison to try to support the people of Ukraine. If, after you’ve read this, you are thinking “What can we do?” then it has served its purpose. 
 
If we all do what we can in joining the global surge of support for the people of Ukraine, we can make a difference.

Again, well done! The company has an operation in Poland, which I assume helps immensely for language and local resource challenges.

There are piles of ways people far from the conflict can help, via organizations in their own countries (like Canada), or doing simple things like booking an AirBnB flat somewhere in Ukraine, so money gets in the hands of the owner (ideally individuals, not property firms). AirBnB is waiving fees.

Leave a comment