Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has replied to a 12-year-old boy from the United Kingdom who sent a heart-warming letter along with his school’s relief convoy for refugees coming to Poland from the war-torn country.
The boy from Durham, Thomas Handley, has been “blown away” by the response from the “best president”.
Zelenskyy’s letter read, “Dear Thomas, Thank you for your letter of support. I am ok and thank you for your help. We hope to bring peace to Ukraine and food to the citizens of all the country and rebuild the towns. What you say in your letter and what the United Kingdom does to support brings a smile to my face and to many others. Sincerely, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.”
The UK’s Department of Education shared a photograph of the boy holding the letter. In a series of tweets, the department elaborated on how Handley’s handwritten letter reached Zelenskyy. Along with supplies, Handley from Durham Trinity School attached his letter. “He had learnt about the war and wanted to write a letter of support ‘to the best president’ and that he was ‘happy to be helping Ukraine’,” tweeted the department. The letter was found by staff at a refugee centre in Poland. They forwarded it to the Ukrainian president.
Surprisingly, a letter addressed to “Thomas at Trinity School” arrived at the end of last month.
The Ukrainian president @ZelenskyyUa has replied to a note from a 12-year-old boy from County Durham, saying, “what you say in your letter and what the United Kingdom does to support brings a smile to my face and to many others.”@UkrEmbLondon @Ukraine pic.twitter.com/DTg3ur6JtL
— Department for Education (@educationgovuk) May 5, 2022
Thomas Handley, who’s at Durham Trinity School, included a handwritten letter among the supplies donated by pupils, staff and parents.
He had learnt about the war and wanted to write a letter of support “to the best president” and that he was “happy to be helping Ukraine”. pic.twitter.com/tg9okZh8At
— Department for Education (@educationgovuk) May 5, 2022
When staff at the refugee centre in Poland found the letter, they pledged to forward it on.
No one at the school was expecting to hear anything more, so it was a surprise when at the end of last month, a letter addressed to “Thomas at Trinity School” arrived.
— Department for Education (@educationgovuk) May 5, 2022
What you say in your letter and what the United Kingdom does to support brings a smile to my face and to many others.
Sincerely,
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
— Department for Education (@educationgovuk) May 5, 2022
Robin Haddon, Handley’s teacher, told ITV News, “He won’t let go of the letter yet! He was absolutely blown away by it. His first response was to show everybody in school, he took it round class to class on Friday morning- starting at the top with the headteacher…It’s just so incredible. We are so incredibly proud.”
“Thomas came home from school waving it in his hand—I don’t know whether we’ll be able to prise it out of his hands but we’re going to frame it and give it pride of place in our home,” Kimberley, Handley’s mother, was quoted as saying by BBC Radio Newcastle.
