Press Release | 09 Mar 2022

Vodafone asks charities preparing to welcome refugees from Ukraine to get in touch 

Vodafone wants to provide 'vital connectivity' for up to 200,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war.

Vodafone will offer free connectivity to 200,000 refugees arriving in the UK from Ukraine through its charities.connected initiative. Registered charities can apply for the free connectivity, in the form of SIM cards with 20GB data, plus free calls and texts every month for six months here.

The Government has said that the UK could take in 200,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war.  Connectivity will be essential to help refugees access vital support, mental health services and healthcare and to stay in touch with friends and family back home and elsewhere.  

We are calling on charities to get in touch so we can provide vital connectivity to refugees arriving in the UK from Ukraine

(Ahmed Essam, Vodafone’s UK CEO)

To help refugees who arrive in the UK without devices, Vodafone has launched a Tech Appeal for refugees with a donation of 3,000 smartphones (including  connectivity) and 1,000 portable power banks. The UK public and businesses can also donate here.

Vodafone is also match-funding donations to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal through the British Red Cross, with a minimum contribution of £250,000 from Vodafone.

People can donate any amount via this tracked link, or £10 by texting VODAFONE to 70141*. Every donation will be automatically match-funded and 100% of donations will go to the appeal. 

For Vodafone customers with family and friends in Ukraine, calls and texts are currently free of charge and roaming charges are being waived for customers within Ukraine.  

Ahmed Essam, Vodafone’s UK CEO, said: “We are calling on charities to get in touch so we can provide vital connectivity to refugees arriving in the UK from Ukraine.  This is a terrible situation and we must all do what we can to help.” 

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester and now have 5G in locations across Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain as well as the UK. Meanwhile, our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. Vodafone is the largest provider of full fibre in the UK – our superfast broadband services are now available to nearly 12 million homes across the UK.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK, please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.

Vodafone UK Media Relations

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