Written by Stuart Machin, CEO

Later this morning, the M&S Family will be joining others across the nation in observing a minute’s silence on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

It’s a time to acknowledge the incredible courage and bravery shown every day by the Ukrainian people, but it’s also a sad reflection that one year on, the lives of millions have been devastated by this conflict.

It’s also an opportunity to say thank you to our colleagues, customers and suppliers who have all pulled together in response to this humanitarian crisis. I know that your generosity and support over the last 12 months has made a real difference.

Thank you to our colleagues

• For welcoming 59 Ukrainian refugees into the business. With so many displaced by this conflict the scheme remains open to applications here. Thanks for supporting more refugees with employability training and skills through our Marks and Start programme, in partnership with the Refugee Council.
• I would also like to thank the teams for rallying behind our £1.8m M&S corporate donation across three charities (UNICEF, UK for UNHCR, Disasters Emergency Committee). This has helped support families affected by the war in Ukraine with access to basic essentials like food, shelter and cash assistance.

_{Valera and Kateryna, two Ukrainian refugees on our Marks & Start programme, meeting King Charles at a Prince's Trust event last year.}

Thank you to our suppliers and partners:

• For helping us mobilise and transport product donations, including 12,000 coats and thermals donated by M&S to the UNHCR in Poland, which were then distributed to war-affected communities in Eastern and Central Ukraine.

Finally, thank you to our customers:

• For their kindness in donating £1.95m for UNICEF in-store and online. In addition to this, thousands of customers have selected UNICEF as their chosen Sparks charity – meaning M&S donates every time a customer shops with us. During the past year, M&S has doubled all donations made to UNICEF, raising a further £220k.
• Customers can continue to show their support by selecting UNICEF as their chosen Sparks charity. The donation made by M&S will be split between its Ukraine and Türkiye/Syria Earthquakes Appeal.

For more information, click here.