President Laporta requests support for Ukrainian families at the marquee for the collection of provisions at Camp Nou

During the event to show support for Ukrainian families that took place on Monday morning at Camp Nou to begin the campaign to collect food for children on behalf of FC Barcelona and the Catalan Red Cross, president Joan Laporta sent out a message: "I want to make a call to fans and members who are coming to the Women's Champions League game on Wednesday at Camp Nou to bring the food products that are needed to help the Ukrainian families who have arrived in Catalonia. With this we are showing that we are more than a club and that the Barça family is more than a family." 

The presentation of the collections points that will be open over the next few days was attended by Dr. Marta Segú, general director of the Foundation, Artem Vorobiov, Ukrainian consulate in Barcelona, Josep Quitet, president of the Catalan Red Cross, Elena Fort, vice president of the institutional area, Xavier Puig, director responsible for women's football, Enric Masip, member of the FC Barcelona president's cabinet, Andrei Xepkin, Ukrainian former FC Barcelona handball player, and members of the FC Barcelona Foundation governing board. 

Also present were the first team coach Xavi Hernández and Barça Women players Marinona Caldentey and Asisat Oshoala.

During the event the first donations were made and Club employees and members of the FC Barcelona Foundation as well as various partners and collaborating businesses also took part. There were representatives from the Barça Academy and the captain of the Barça futsal team, Sergio Lozano. 

Marta Segú, general director of the FC Barcelona Foundation said: "We want this help to arrive in an effective manner and we are doing that thanks to the collaboration with the Red Cross who are experts in distributing charity donations. Today, Barça's heart is beating for the Ukrainians, the refugees from the war and all refugees around the world." 

The Ukrainian consulate, for his part, explained that "every day more and more Ukrainians are arriving in Spain, the majority via Barcelona." He added: "They all need help. I would like to thank the FC Barcelona president and the director of the FC Barcelona Foundation and also the president of the Red Cross for getting this initiative off the ground that is so needed by our people." 

Josep Quitet, president of the Catalan Red Cross highlighted the collaboration with the FC Barcelona Foundation, especially in such situations. "From the very first minute they contacted us to help us with whatever was needed and we asked them to help us to deal with the thousands of people who were arriving from Ukraine," he said before adding that they had also made a call for any help to be channelled through experienced organisations. 

Child food products requested

According to the Red Cross, the most necessary articles are as follows:

• Powdered baby milk
• Powdered baby cereals
• Baby food (fruit, vegetables, chicken, fish, etc.)
• Children’s snacks and biscuits
• Fruit juice

The collection points at the Camp Nou facilities will be open on Tuesday 29 March (from 2pm to 6pm CEST), Wednesday 30 March (2pm to 7pm), in this coinciding with the Women's Champions League game between Barça and Real Madrid and finally on Sunday 3 April until 9.30pm coinciding with the game between Barça and Sevilla and various matches during the day at the Palau Blaugrana. 

A team of volunteers from the Red Cross and Club employees will handle the donations at the collection points that the Red Cross will then send to their  Humanitarian Centre at Sant Martí de Tous (Anoia), where they will be delivered to Ukrainian and other families at high risk that are in the organisation’s care.