One Ukrainian youngster’s birthday was made a little bit sweeter thanks to a hand delivered birthday cake to his hometown.

When Logan Curtis, 14, from Pitsea, heard that a Ukrainian boy’s birthday "treat" was a bowl of potatoes, he had to do something about it.

He baked a birthday cake for the youngster, whose name is ILyusha, and the cake was then driven to Borodyanka in Ukraine on a trip organised by the Basildon Twinning Association.

Logan is one of the founding members of the Next Gen Twinning group. He and other youngsters set up the group so that they could stay in contact with kids from the twin towns in Germany and France, and now in Borodyanka, Ukraine.

Echo: Star baker - Logan CurtisStar baker - Logan Curtis (Image: Logan Curtis)

“We are really proud of Logan baking the cake and everything he has done. The boy in Borodyanka, who Logan baked the cake for, is the grandson of a Ukrainian lady, called Laura who is living with a host family in Billericay,” said Annie Akinin, secretary of the Twinning Association.

“She has become a good friend of twinning and she will also be our guest of honour at our forthcoming Eurovision Night which we are planning.”

As well as the birthday cake the trip also saw the delivery of seven generators (including a 100Kw generator for Borodyanka’s hospital), food, warm clothing, lights and materials to work with the young people.

Echo: Birthday boy - ILyusha (second from the left) at home with his family Birthday boy - ILyusha (second from the left) at home with his family (Image: Basildon Borough Twinning Association)

Goods included drinks from Gerald MacDonald in Basildon industrial area courtesy of A.G. Barr in Glasgow, Art Boxes for the art therapy sessions at the children's rehabilitation centre from The Royal Opera House and boxes of warm winter goods donated by Basildon Billericay and Wickford CVS.

Annie said: “Sadly as newspapers put news out of Ukraine on to the middle pages, so readers think the problems in Ukraine are diminishing. When news seeps through, it is all about the conflict at the front.

“Life for the civilian population is not improving at all. Power is still intermittent, there are food shortages, there are still regular air raids and temperatures hover around zero degrees.”

“The community of Borodyanka are awaited the arrival with so much excitement and gratitude.”

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