When they heard about the plight of the Ukrainian people, residents of a Norfolk village decided they had to do something to help.

So a 24-hour weekend Sunflower Walk for Ukraine has been arranged around their local area of Hethersett, Great Melton, Little Melton and Thickthorn.

Together the walkers will attempt to travel a combined 1,400 miles – the distance between Hethersett and Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

Organiser Kim Rout explained what had prompted her decision to organise the walk.

“As soon as I heard about Ukraine on the news, I felt so strongly about it that I knew I had to do something to help the Ukrainian people.

"I teach an inclusion class with children who have social, emotional and SEND needs and I like it that the Ukraine charity primarily funds underprivileged children but is now working for relief aid.”

The message for potential walkers is “the more the merrier.”

Walkers are being sponsored and already Ms Rout's initial aim of raising £500 has been reached and pushed upwards to £1,000.

The money will go to the Ukraine Charity which was established in 2007 in London to raise funds for various charitable causes in Ukraine.

Until now the charity’s primary focus has been on helping orphans and underprivileged children and young adults in Ukraine by raising money for orphanage refurbishments, learning programmes, summer camps and supporting children’s hospitals.

This has now been turned into a 2022 War Crisis Appeal to provide humanitarian relief.

Ms Rout and friend Lois Ware are aiming to walk all or most of the 24 hours with others already pledging to walk a 12 hour stint through the night.

Others will be walking for shorter amounts of time.

She will keep everyone up to date on the progress through a Facebook page.

More information on the Ukraine charity is available at www.ukrainecharity.org.uk.

Donations can be made through a Just Giving page (search Sunflower Walk) and Ms Rout would love to hear from more walkers who can sign in through the Facebook page “Sunflower Walk For Ukraine” or by contacting her directly at kimrout@hotmail.co.uk.

People can also turn up for the start of the walk at 8pm on Saturday from close to the village sign in Great Melton Road, Hethersett.