Run 16 – May 2023
No sooner are we back from run 15, it’s non stop now preparing for run 16!
The team were busy at Ukraine Fundraiser 2022 HQ over the weekend making sure the van was good to go and adding the first part of the load. Mainly medical items, our huge thanks to Anna Pukas James, Kristina Pukas Cousins, Guy Ticehurst & Liza Daisy Thomson who collected the aid that was loaded!
Watch this space as the trip gets underway! Here’s some pictures of the kind donations that were on the van from Damon Warren, Helene Smith, Brass Band Aid (Brighton & Hove City Brass, Uckfield Concert Brass), Sussex Symphony Orchestra, Anna and Kristina Pukas and locally collected items from Mike & Annie Hockham:
After a short work break in Karlsruhe, run 16 got restarted!
28th May and it’s a lovely sunny day in Brovary where I have finally arrived – a little early for our hosts who had a disturbed night due to the increasing missile attacks on Kyiv.
Time to unload the van – in the next couple of videos, you’ll be able to see your donations have arrived safely!
It’s always a real pleasure when we get to meet some of the aid recipients in person – one lady we have met a number of times looks after severely handclapped children and it was good to be able to load her car up including items we brought with us this time. She will also be getting a device for lowering people into the bath which will be on our next run.
Vehicles arrived to take our medical aid to a front line hospital in the Donetsk area:
Andy’s van has now been fixed (and as a ps, it made it home without any further loss of coolant!), so it’s time to prepare for the journey home.
On the way, Andy took Lina and Igor with him to visit Lina’s daughter in Poland – we learned a lot on the way about the more northern border crossings ie. despite what the iphone map app may tell you, you can’t use them! (7.5 tonnes and above only for one and a Red Channel Customs crossing for the other). Thanks to having Lina with him, Andy was able to blag his way through the 2nd one and delivered them safely to Poland.
Some final words of thanks to Mike & Annie who were always in the background on this trip with help, information and advice – this was Andy’s first solo round trip and it’s good to know you’re not alone!
