Many of us may have tried to avoid the news coming out of Ukraine over the last few months, because it has largely been reporting the increasingly depressing stories of missile and drone attacks across the country.
Apart from the tragic toll of deaths and casualties, the easily overlooked consequence of these attacks, is that many many people have had everything they own, apart from the clothes on their backs destroyed. They immediately become refugees, in need of many of the basic things that the luckier ones amongst us take for granted.
We have just completed our 11th journey delivering humanitarian aid to Ukraine. We go to an aid warehouse in Central Lviv, which then distributes it either to displaced people in the local area, or c. 1,000 km further east.
Our main contact there Krystyna (and her team of volunteers) is always very grateful for the aid, which is unfortunately still very much needed.
In addition to mobility aids, medical supplies etc., they also need basic items like shampoo, baby baby food food and sanitary items, so the warehouse is full of all manner of things. We usually get these items from our Banbury contacts.
Over the last 3 1/2 years our trips have become increasingly costly, the last one in early September cost over £1,800. The main cost is fuel, followed by Channel Tunnel fares, accommodation and insurance. If you would like to help us to continue with these essential trips, please donate via our GoFundMe page:   https://gofund.me/65f55a3b9
We have also been very fortunate that Hook Norton Brewery have lent us one of their vans for most of our trips. However, we are aware they need it for their own beer deliveries locally.
If anyone has a van (3.5 tonne) that we could borrow next time we go, that would be much appreciated. It would involve roughly 3,200 miles, and whilst most vehicles are insured throughout Europe, we would buy specialist insurance within Ukraine. We would need it for 5 days.
Getting back home safely doesn’t take us long, and we always feel very aware that our comfortable lives are not threatened in the way that our Ukrainian friends are.
Jerry Wood & Mike Morris
Email: mikeandjerry4ukraine@yahoo.com