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This International Womens Day we planned to celebrate confidence and all the incredible ways, as women, we can inspire this in each other to bring about change. We had all the details mapped out - and then everything changed.  Needless to say, it felt overwhelmingly urgent to put the right actions in place in response, rather than press on regardless. 

  I have always chosen to support women through philanthropy and mentorship and so my instinctive response to the Ukrainian crisis was to find a way to support women and children who have been displaced as a result of the invasion. Families have been divided and ordinary people have lost their homes.  My mother’s side of my family are Russian and they left their country of birth as refugees after the 1917 revolution. They travelled through Berlin and Paris before settling in England where they were welcomed and allowed to make their way. Although I think of myself as British, I have always been proud of my Russian heritage and over the years have taken lots of inspiration from it. I see no connection between the beauty and culture of Russia and the barbaric actions happening in Ukraine today. 

Like everyone looking on, I have been overcome with a sense of shock and sadness. While we all look for ways to come together and help, I can’t think of a better expression of what I think we all need than these symbols of ‘Help’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Love’ Annoushka will donate 100% of the proceeds from our Helping Hands collection directly to the Red Cross, who are doing amazing work to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland and other bordering countries.  One man’s actions do not reflect the will of the people. Like many Russians, I have Ukrainian friends and feel we are as close as brothers and sisters – so to witness this war, with so many completely innocent people caught in the crossfire, feels truly heart-breaking. We only hope a resolution can be found soon and, in the meantime, that our support will make a difference.  If you want to donate and help the Red Cross directly, please follow this link.

#WeStandWithUkraine 
“
This International Womens Day we planned to celebrate confidence and all the incredible ways, as women, we can inspire this in each other to bring about change. We had all the details mapped out - and then everything changed.  Needless to say, it felt overwhelmingly urgent to put the right actions in place in response, rather than press on regardless. 

  I have always chosen to support women through philanthropy and mentorship and so my instinctive response to the Ukrainian crisis was to find a way to support women and children who have been displaced as a result of the invasion. Families have been divided and ordinary people have lost their homes.  My mother’s side of my family are Russian and they left their country of birth as refugees after the 1917 revolution. They travelled through Berlin and Paris before settling in England where they were welcomed and allowed to make their way. Although I think of myself as British, I have always been proud of my Russian heritage and over the years have taken lots of inspiration from it. I see no connection between the beauty and culture of Russia and the barbaric actions happening in Ukraine today. 

Like everyone looking on, I have been overcome with a sense of shock and sadness. While we all look for ways to come together and help, I can’t think of a better expression of what I think we all need than these symbols of ‘Help’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Love’ Annoushka will donate 100% of the proceeds from our Helping Hands collection directly to the Red Cross, who are doing amazing work to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland and other bordering countries.  One man’s actions do not reflect the will of the people. Like many Russians, I have Ukrainian friends and feel we are as close as brothers and sisters – so to witness this war, with so many completely innocent people caught in the crossfire, feels truly heart-breaking. We only hope a resolution can be found soon and, in the meantime, that our support will make a difference.  If you want to donate and help the Red Cross directly, please follow this link.  

#WeStandWithUkraine