11 May Ukraine Humanitarian Aid Convoy April 2022
Here at TTS we have been saddened by what has been going on in the Ukraine. Like many people we decided that we had to do something to help.
As a Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) supplier the first thing we did was donate all of the proceeds of the sale of the Alpha Solway 2530V masks to Ukraine Aid charities.
While this was a good start, we still didn’t think it was enough. So after some sleepless nights and a lot of thinking we decided to donate our mobile classroom.
Yorkshire Aid Convoy
We didn’t want to donate the classroom to just anybody. After a few hours searching, we found the amazing team at Yorkshire Aid Convoy and contacted them.
Gary Dooley and Mark Murphy are 2 of the trustees of this charity. They quickly got in touch with their contacts in the Ukraine to see what they could do with it.
Mark and Gary came to meet us the next day. They told us that they would be delighted to take the classroom to the Ukraine. The mobile classroom was going to be used on the front line to train medical staff and treat casualties.
We were over the moon with this and were asked if we would like to join the next humanitarian convoy. leaving on the 28th of April. Where we could deliver the classroom to the Ukraine personally.
Ukraine Aid
Here at TTS we are a family company. So, Dave Wood (1 of the Directors) and Richard Sunderland (Training Manager and Dave’s brother) agreed they would be honoured to join the convoy .
So the hard work now begins to source humanitarian aid to take with us on the trip. In addition. we wanted to raise the funds to get the classroom there. Jo Wood really did work tirelessly to get what she could to assist with this. With the help from some amazing suppliers, customers, friends and sometimes strangers, things started to come together.
In memory of Trish
While preparing everything for the trip we decided that the truck needed a name. Dave & Richard had lost their Mum back in December due to the effects of long covid. It was decided that the truck should be called “Trish” in her honour and the trip undertaken in her memory.
On the 28th April 2022 we joined up with the other 7 trucks and 14 volunteers in Leeds. The epic (speed restricted) trip across Europe had begun. We were on our way to deliver the classroom and 120 tons of vital aid into the Ukraine.
The Ukraine Trip in Dave’s words
The Journey
Day 1 was the easy part of the trip, a nice easy 65 mile drive to the Port of Hull to load onto the overnight ferry to Rotterdam.
Day 2 the hard work starts, drive from Rotterdam to Laaber in Germany a distance of some 770KM in vehicles that do 56 mph and we arrived there at 11:30pm.
Day 3 05:00 departure to drive through the rest of Germany, Austria then Hungary and finally stopping in Slovakia at 8pm for the night a distance of 953KM.
Day 4 later start 8am on the road heading for the Ukrainian border, we were met before we go to the border by the police and escorted to the front of a very long queue, that said it still took over 2 hours to cross into the Ukraine where we were escorted again to the aid centre to hand Trish over and unload the vehicles.
We left the Ukraine at about 4:30 pm then had to drive 675KM to get to Gottlesbrun in Austria arriving there at nearly midnight.
Day 5 another 5am departure to drive 916KM to drive to Siegburg in Germany arriving there at about 7pm.
Day 6 easier day left at 7am to drive back up to Rotterdam to load back on the overnight ferry to Hull a distance of 330Km.
Day 7 off the ferry by 8am and back in Leeds by 10am then home.
My fellow volunteers
I shared an amazing experience with some amazing people. One of the volunteers commented that what we did has changed some peoples lives in the Ukraine for the better. It has given them a better day today than they had yesterday.
That is what it is all about, we would love to help every single person, but we can’t. However, helping somebody, is better than helping nobody.
Not everybody will be as privileged as we were to take part in such an amazing journey. Most aid convoys will never get anywhere near the Ukraine border never mind over it.
Organised by people who have been doing this convoy for 30 years. They have contacts at the highest levels of Government in these countries, to ensure our smooth and safe passage through.
Thank You
I want to thank Gary, Mark, Felix, Florence and all of the team at Yorkshire Aid Convoy for the wonderful work they all do. We need more people in the world like them.
This trip wasn’t just about the 16 volunteers who made the trip. Other people work selflessly to make this happen. The team at Nixon Hire who sort out all of the paperwork and supply some of the trucks. The team at Zenith Intelligent Vehicle Solutions who donated some of the trucks and sorted out insurance etc. All of the companies who donated aid, cash etc. to make the trip worthwhile. And to every single person who donated money or wished us well for the trip, I thank you all. What we have all done collectively has changed peoples lives.
We will continue our relationship with Yorkshire Aid Convoy, because what they do matters. It makes a difference and we will do whatever we can to support that going forwards.
To the guys who were with us on the trip, you are all wonderful people and friends for life. Meeting you all and doing this with you, was one of the biggest things in my life.
I have no doubt that we will stay in touch. And I have no doubt that I will see some of you again on future convoys.
Final Note
This was for you Mum (Trish), we hope we made you proud. And also for the brave people of the Ukraine Slava Ukraini and I hope this awful ordeal is over for you really soon.
No Comments