Anna Shevchenko visited the New Forest for Ukraine’s Lymington aid hub on November 29.
She met with the charity’s team and expressed gratitude to local residents and others for their contributions.
Anna Shevchenko said: “It’s fantastic to see the support the New Forest and wider community brings and the aid it sends to the people of Ukraine. ‘Around the War in Twenty Stories’ tells real stories of ordinary people.
“But it’s also the story of the people who risked their lives to produce it like the printers who had 95 windows blown out in the printing works while the book was produced and the designer who carried on working when hers were blown out.
“I’m bringing today the thanks of the people of Ukraine for everything NFFU and all the people who are supporting and donating to us are doing.”
John Allison, Head of New Forest for Ukraine said: “It’s been wonderful to meet Anna today and show her what people here are doing to support Ukraine. Like the team who worked to bring the Twenty Stories she tells, we are all volunteers and everything we send is tailored to real groups of people on the ground in Ukraine.
“She brings with her the human stories of individuals struggling to live under the hardest circumstances and which range from the moving to the funny and even the surreal. We know there is more to do and we are determined to rise to the challenge.”
Ms Shevchenko, who has authored five award-winning books, including ‘Around the War in Twenty Stories’, spoke about the war’s impact on ordinary Ukrainians.
The book was produced by volunteers and distributed worldwide, having been printed under shelling 40km from the frontline in Ukraine.
