LISKEARD’S mayor has set off on a journey to bring two towns together in friendship.

Cllr Simon Cassidy and his fellow town councillor David Braithwaite have joined volunteers from Callington Lions on their 18th trip to deliver much-needed aid to the people of Ukraine.

The Cornwall and Devon Sending Love to Ukraine organisation was founded by taxi driver Darren Tait during the first days of the Russian invasion. 

From small beginnings the group has grown, and with a large number of volunteers donating, sorting and loading, local businesses and charities have also given financial support and storage space. Since March 2022, the group has taken 140 van loads of items to the Polish border, where they work closely with contacts to target exactly what’s needed to where it most needs to go.

Amongst the items being delivered this time is a suitcase full of hand knitted children’s hats, scarves and gloves, made by church and community groups around Liskeard.

The latest convoy to leave in the run-up to Christmas has a particularly special additional mission to carry out: Liskeard is set to twin with the Ukrainian town of Kopychyntsi. 

While in Warsaw, mayor Cllr Cassidy and councillor David Braithwaite will meet with Kopychyntsi’s mayor Bogdan Kelichavyi to sign the official twinning document. 

“The town of Kopychyntsi lies to the south east of the city of Lviv, and in many ways has much in common with Liskeard,” Cllr Cassidy explained. “It has a population of similar size, and is predominantly surrounded by farming communities.

“I hope that we can learn a lot from each other going forward and it gives the people and the children of both our towns the opportunity to engage with people they wouldn’t otherwise be able to engage with.”