Food, clothing and other items have also been generously donated to support Ukrainian refugees and will be sorted at the White Eagle Club in Stafford before being taken to Poland.

Saturday’s event was hosted by Stafford Borough Councilors Jonathan Price and Marnie Phillips.

Around £2,400 was raised via bucket drives.

Councilor Phillips said: “The Staffordians had such a sincere need that myself and my fellow councilor Jonathan Price felt the need to come together as a community to express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

“We would like to thank Pastor John Marshall for saying paymasters and blessings for the people of Ukraine, a poignant and moving experience.

“We all feel so helpless. The response to the call has been phenomenal, we have been totally overwhelmed by the generosity of so many people and the response has far exceeded anything we could have imagined.

“We would like to thank Stafford Market management and fellow advisers, former MP Jeremy Lefroy and his friends who came to help us.

“The whole day has been incredibly emotional, thank you all. The appeal continues at the White Eagle Club, where volunteers have worked tirelessly for the past two weeks, with several vans already sent overland via the tunnel of the ‘Euro and Germany with emergency supplies. Truly an incredible effort by everyone involved.’

Items can still be donated to the White Eagle Club, including baby food, bottles, wipes, pacifiers, diapers, disposable bibs and other supplies.

New clothes for babies up to 12 months are also needed, as well as dried food, medical supplies, disposable masks, toiletries, plastic cups, disposable bottles and plates, gloves, hats , scarves and underwear.

The White Eagle Club is open for donations Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.