Agency supports Ukraine charity collection

A marketing agency is sending an array of aid items to Ukrainian refugees in Poland after one of its own team members was conscripted for service.

Sutton Coldfield-based WAA Chosen has employees all over the globe supporting international contracts for the likes of Britvic, Diageo and Delaware North - including Ukrainian advocacy expert, Alexey Kostenyuk.

Alexey has worked with the agency for over seven years and is a key part of the agency 's delivery of the award winning 'Bar Academy ' programme in Eastern Europe.

Alongside WAA Chosen 's Sutton based trade director, Matt Guest, Alexey has also acted as a judge for a number of world recognised cocktail competitions and industry leading drinks events.

The agency is now anxiously awaiting news from Alexey after learning that he had been conscripted to join Ukraine 's fight, and in the meantime the business is doing whatever it can to support local relief efforts.

Matt Guest said: “We have built a real community of international team members because of our global clients, and I spend a lot of time travelling the world to work alongside them and develop them.

“Alexey is one of our stars and is fantastic in Eastern Europe because of his massive industry knowledge and skill-set, as well as his linguistic prowess.

“As an agency it is hard to imagine what he and his country are going through, but we wanted to show our support for him so have joined forces with a local Sutton Coldfield group sending items to Poland where we will be providing as much from their 'wish list ' as possible.

All of the internal screens at the agency headquarters have changed to show the Ukrainian flag to demonstrate that our thoughts are all with them at this time, and many of our visiting clients have heard the story and asked what they can to do help as well. ”

WAA Chosen is supporting a Polish group by funding the transportation costs of vital items that will be sent to help injured and displaced Ukrainians who have made it to Poland.

The items are being collected at Sutton Coldfield Rugby Club on Sunday mornings from 10.30am. Anyone wanting to support the effort can drop off supplies including tableware, batteries, torches, canned meats and fish, pasta, sleeping bags and much more on the wish-list.

Pictured: Olexiy Kostenyuk (centre) and Matt Guest (right), WAA Chosen