AUCTION donations have been pouring in to a Newton Abbot pub ahead of a charity gala for Ukrainian refugees this Saturday, April 23.

Andrei Slipchenko, landlord of the Saracen’s Head in Fairfield Terrace, was so moved by the suffering in the Ukraine he wanted to do something to help.

As his father was a refugee from the Ukraine at the end of the Second World War, Mr Slipchenko knows more than most what it is like to flee for your life.

Mr Slipchenko’s way of raising charity cash, all of which will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee which is helping Ukrainian refugees, was to organise a charity gala at his pub.

During a break a packed day of events, which will include two sets from local musician Emma Pick, a charity auction will take place.

Will Smith, a Newton Abbot businessman who has conducted dozens of charity auctions, will be putting the first lot under the hammer just after 3pm.

So far nearly 30 lots with a retail value of around £1,600 have been donated – and Andrei anticipates a few more by Saturday morning.

Lots range from the practical, such as three pairs of designer sunglasses; the fashionable, a stylish pair of hooped silver earrings and the indulgent, which includes three magnum bottles of champagne or a day at the Devon Spirit School in Dartington, learning how to blend gin and rum.

One packaged lot that is bound to attract stiff biding is a meal for two at the picturesque Drum Inn at Cockington AND a taxi-ride there an back.

Other lots up for grabs include:

l Spa treatments

l A visit from a professional cleaner

l A toolkit

l Fine art paintings and prints, both contemporary and antique

l And tickets to see classical musician André Rieu in concert when he visits this county later this month

Mr Slipchenko has put his hand into his own pocket to donate two Groupon vouchers worth £400 and £300 respectively.

In addition to the auction lots there will be a raffle for around 50 prizes later in the day.

The entertainment will be rounded off by a Kamikaze Karaoke contest. Instead of picking their favourite song, contestants have it picked for them.

Mr Slipchenko has already between £2-300 through advance events at the pub, but hopes the charity gala really will swell the coffers.

‘It is difficult to predict in advance how much we will raise, but I would hope it will be somewhere between £2-3,000,” he said.

‘My staff have worked really hard getting lots donated, my customers have brought things in and total strangers have come in off the street with donations having read about what we are doing in the Mid-Devon Advertiser.

‘It is going to be a manic day and it can’t come soon enough. People have been so generous and I hope we can turn their generosity into hard cash for a worthy cause.’

The Slipchenko family were farmers in the Ukraine before losing their land when farms were collectivised after the Russian Revolution in 2017.

There was worse to come during the Second World War when, said Mr Slipchenko, his family were virtually wiped out after the Germans marched in.

‘My aunty, my dad’s sister, worked for the state and she was put up against a wall and shot,’ he said.