We are delighted to hear that yesterday Cher and her impressive load of aid were delivered to KNP "Artsyzskaya Central District Hospital". Artsizskaya Central District Hospital is a large support hospital in the centre of Bessarabia (which is in the Odesa region). One of Cher's many roles will be to ferry seriously ill patients from … Continue reading Cher arrives! #Post 10
A Community Transport Hub for Odesa – October 2022
… and now the real work starts. Post #9
It does very much seem the "luck of the draw" as to the experience of crossing the border. Aid worker Paul's (AWP's) previous experience was that avoiding the crossing at Krakovets' was always preferable. Other crossings are far swifter and the officials at them have a more welcoming attitude towards aid. Nonetheless, buoyed by Daniel's … Continue reading … and now the real work starts. Post #9
A day of twists and turns … Post #8
WARNING: this blog post contains repeated requests for funds! Support Ukraine We wrote a while ago that we had learned about the inevitable mutability of plans. Tuesday showed that in spades. This is what was meant to happen: a bit of a lie in, breakfast at the amusingly named Hotel Hubertus in Rzeszów and then … Continue reading A day of twists and turns … Post #8
Nearly there now – post #7
The original plan seemed easy. It seemed clear. Drive (just) into Ukraine. Hand over an ambulance to a large Ukrainian. Get a taxi from the border to Kraków airport and then a flight home. The reality of trying to fit into a global relief effort is a different though and and thus we found ourselves … Continue reading Nearly there now – post #7
Stay on route 44 for 145 km … Post #6
It always seems pretty depressing when you look at satnav and you’re going to be driving in a straight line for a long way. And then when you do get to the bit where the excitement of changing to a new road is promised in fact you just stay on the same road with a … Continue reading Stay on route 44 for 145 km … Post #6
… and they’re off! Post #5
First thing today we and Sunny (our ambulance's new name - thank you Granny Anne!) rolled down the hill in Wimbledon and set off for the Eurotunnel terminal some 80 miles away. Once we get there we'll only have another 950 to go! https://videopress.com/v/BLupco6Q?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Yesterday was hectic. Having decided on a name (sunflowers being Ukraine's … Continue reading … and they’re off! Post #5
Shifting sands and changing plans … post #4
So we should have realised that driving an ambulance to Ukraine would not be like booking a holiday ... The sheer number of people that we need to rely on or fit around, issues that need to be addressed and realities that need to be accommodated is eye-opening. Since our last post we have really … Continue reading Shifting sands and changing plans … post #4
One week to go … post #3
Now that we are so close to departure we thought that it might be important to take a look at the ambulance and work out what we might need to do before we collect it later this week. We wanted to know answers to practical questions like: where on earth does the diesel go? What … Continue reading One week to go … post #3
Progress and an update – post #2
We are delighted to report that very nearly £3,000 of our £12,000 target has already been raised which is simply amazing ... Also, two friends of ours have committed to fundraise and drive ambulances themselves and there is the possibility of collaborating with a Canadian charity to fundraise for even more ambulances to be sent … Continue reading Progress and an update – post #2
Hello World!
So this is our first post about a really unusual but wonderful thing. How often do any of us get a chance to make a real, tangible difference to something important? When we got the chance we simply had to take it. As you may well know, Daniel chairs the Academy Choir Wimbledon and we … Continue reading Hello World!