Chris Childerhouse looked in horror at the war in Ukraine, wondering what someone from Wellington could do to try to ease their burden.
With winter looming, the answer soon came: he would work to provide woollen clothing, not only for its thermal attributes but also to send a message that people on the other side of the world care about the plight of Ukraine.
“I thought ‘What do we have in NZ that the Ukraine could use?’ I read about how cold it gets in winter in Ukraine and thought we have the best wool in the world,” Childerhouse said.
Having settled on supplying socks, specifically those made from strong crossbred wool, he set himself the target of raising enough funds in a month to supply 10,000 pairs.
The venture also provided the Wellingtonian with an insight into the parlous state of crossbred strong wool prices.
He has launched a Give A Little Page with the socks to be produced by the NZ Sock Company in Ashburton.
He is aiming for a minimum of 1000 pairs, at a cost of $20,000, the volume needed to fill an airfreight pallet.
They will be airfreighted to Poland and, through contacts of the New Zealand-linked group Mahi for Ukraine, will be taken across the border and distributed.
With temperatures falling as low as minus 20degC and Russian missiles destroying energy infrastructure and damaging homes, Childerhouse said, warmth is crucial for Ukrainians.
