THE mother of a West Byfleet man working to help those in Ukraine whose lives have been devastated by the conflict spoke frankly to the News & Mail this week about her concerns for her son.

“Every morning I try to check that Robert is alive,” said Mami Bell. “I look at all the social media groups, make sure it’s ok, then I start to get worried if I haven’t heard from him for a couple of hours.

“But that’s Robert, he’s always wanted to help people. I can remember when he was only about 11, we were living in Singapore then, and he raised a lot of money for the WWF.

“When the war started in Ukraine I knew that he would stay. I thought of a story from when he was young and it was so clear to me.

“Robert’s an only child, and I’d always tell him not to be greedy when he had sweets. I remember a time when he was so worried about being fair that he gave all his sweets away, and had none left for himself!

“He was always putting others first, and I knew he’d do the same again in Ukraine. I’d tell him he’s not out there sightseeing, come home.

“Now he’s ended up with nothing again. His business in Ukraine has gone, his money is running down, so I don’t know what he can do when he finally comes home, or when this is over.

“For now, though, he is really desperate for more money to help more of those refugees who have nothing. He’s given most of his away, so he has less to buy things for people in need.”

Robert has been helping provide food and medicines for people fleeing the conflict, and buying petrol for mini-buses taking women and children across the border to Poland.

* For more details, or to donate to his efforts, visit the Paypal fundraising page “Rob in Ukraine Charity Fund” at https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8I6CpCXXPg