Run 37 – Mike & Karl, May 2025

Before any run can take place, there is a lot of activity to both collect aid and raise funding for the run!
A massive thank you goes to Winterton and district Lions along with the people who attended the coffee morning at Winterton Rangers yesterday. Your support is greatly appreciated. I now have the peace of mind that the run departing on Wednesday is now fully funded. Thank you all so very much.

There was a very special addition to this trip! In addition to the van, Mike was taking a bus loaded with aid as well! This added some extra challenges to the paperwork but was a successful delivery to the end recipients.

The journey east continued. Yesterday we bumped into Andrew Wooler who is now returning from his run. Following our meet up with Andy we travelled to Kryvyi Rhi. You’ll remember on 4/4/25 nine children were killed by a missile strike along with ten other civilians. Mary Cavill prepared a teddy for us to lay in their memory whilst we paid our respects.

From there, we travelled to Zaporhizhia to deliver to Nataly and the Himars Charity. This was the largest delivery for this run. Nataly is good at video editing bit so here’s her account of our visit!

Also yesterday we met up with Jimmy to have a coffee and chat. Although we didn’t have much for him this time it’s great to keep in contact.

Leaving Zaporizhzhia, we travelled a little north to Svit to deliver mostly medical aid to Dariya. She then sorts and delivers it on to frontline areas from Sumy in the north east down to Zapprizhzhia and beyond. A lovely lady who has endured so much in her life but still devotes her time to help others. Her work undoubtedly saves many lives.

After we left Dariya, we then travelled north west and dropped in on our good friend Володимир Каплін better known to us as Malik. We gave him the tools we had had donated. He will pass them on to the army for digging trenches etc and vehicle repairs. It’s always an experience meeting Malik as he is a whirlwind of a man and never stays still for five minutes. Every week he travels to Kyiv to raise money for the forces.

After visiting Malik we then popped up to Kyiv area. Karl stayed with a friend and Mike stayed with his good friends in Brovary and received the usual excellent Ukrainian hospitality! These guys are now family to me. Three and a half years has seen a mutual love and respect develop between us.

Then it was time for us to begin the long slog home but not before dropping in to visit Eddie Scott. You’ll remember he lost his arm and leg recently near Pokrovsk in a targeted FPV drone attack. We visited him in Kyiv on our last trip. He is now near Lviv at the Superhuman centre being sorted with prosthetics. There is a high possibility that we will be working in conjunction with him in the near future. Eddie is probably the most positive person I have ever had the pleasure to know. A true hero and a dedicated aid worker.

As the run comes to its conclusion I just want to thank everyone who has contributed either with physical aid or financial support with the cost of getting it out there. A massive thank you goes to everyone who helped in particular:

• Winterton and District Lions. For all their help at the fundraising event.
• Winterton couple for the dog food blankets and aid.
• Roxby and Winterton WI. Blankets
• Linda for your blankets.
• Methodist Church
• Winterton Rangers.
• Patients at Lindsey lodge hospice for the hand puppets.
• Heather Steven for all her aid and donations.
• Louise for her aid.
• The lady in Winterton that donated the kidney dialysis aids. Stoma kits.
• Lynne for the Moses baskets, clothing and blankets etc.

For all their help soft toys and all the medicine, dressing and walking aids plus many more who contributed. I’m sorry if I’ve missed anyone out and some who help us wish to remain anonymous but you know who you are. I have to report that the situation in Ukraine has deteriorated considerably of recent times so your aid and support is needed now more than ever. Please , please continue to support us in our mission to support the people of Ukraine and plans for our next run are well underway.

We need your financial support to enable us to continue. Please use the Bank details below to make direct donations or contact Annie Hockham or Mykee Hockham for details of how you can give.

Finally a massive thank you to Annie and Mary Cavill for their hard work in the background logging, weighing and sorting aid.

Virgin bank
Mr M Hockham
05-00-05
07257728
IBAN. GB10YORK05000507257728

Slava Ukraine. Heroyam Slava