Financial Planners from firms large and small have been fundraising and going above and beyond to help refugees who have suffered due to Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Wealth management and Financial Planning firms have been gathering donations, organising fundraising and making corporate donations to charities supporting the refugees.

Some Financial Planners have even gone so far as travelling to the region themselves to bring aid.

Two members of the Perceptive Planning team hired a van and headed for Poland’s border with the Ukraine over the last few days to deliver 107 boxes of aid with support from the rest of the team, other Financial Planning firms and local businesses back home.

Phil Billingham, Chartered Financial Planner and director, and Shannon Currie, MD and Chartered Wealth Manager’s journey has been followed, and supported, by many fellow Financial Planning professionals via social media where Mr Billingham is sharing regular updates on his trip.

You can read more about their journey in an exclusive interview with Financial Planning Today here.

Last week Celtic Financial Planning gathered a large donation together including sleeping bags, first aid kits, survival blankets, clothing and toiletries, which have been sent to Ukraine.

The firm is also promoting and supporting donation appeals online and within the local community, as well as committing to donating money as a firm.

Rob Lewis, director and IFA at Celtic, said: “We have all been personally deeply saddened by the events and want to do what we can to help.”

Quilter has made a £100,000 donation to the DEC appeal and Tilney Smith & Williamson has also been trying to help Ukrainian refugees.

The firm has made a six-figure donation to the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis appeal to support the humanitarian relief effort.

Through a donation matching scheme and payroll giving, the wealth management and Financial Planning firm is also supporting employees looking to undertake their own fund raising activity.

Surrey-based Financial Planner Informed Choice is also supporting Ukrainian refugees.

Martin Bamford, Financial Planner at the firm, spent Saturday morning collecting donations in the firm’s local High Street on behalf of the Rotary Club. Through links to Rotary Clubs in Poland, they are funding a hotel with 200 rooms for refugees, and also operating a train between Kyiv and the border.

“It's our understanding that the humanitarian aid effort desperately requires cash rather than goods,” he said.