Stamford Ladies AFC and town motor businesses Hindmarch and Co and HiQ Tyres Stamford help get ambulances for Ukraine on the road

Town businesses and footballers have leant their support to help get an aid mission to Ukraine on the road.

A team of volunteers from Stamford, Peterborough and surrounding villages, collectively known as Helping Our Ukrainian Friends, will embark this week on their 12th trip to Poland and Ukraine, transporting desperately-needed aid as well as two donated ambulances.

Hindmarch, of Stamford, immediately got involved and provided free MOTs for both Peugeot ambulances to ensure they were roadworthy for their long journey out to eastern Ukraine.

Stamford Ladies AFC also got involved in support of assistant manager Dave Ribakovs who is one of 10 volunteer drivers on the 1,600-mile trip.

Keen to support Dave, who has coached the ladies’ team at the Borderville sports complex for the past two seasons, the players and management clubbed together to raise the funds needed to replace the windscreen in one of the donated ambulances.

HiQ Tyres, on Ryhall Road, also contributed to the cause by offering tyres at a special reduced rate to ensure the ambulances can cope with the difficult driving conditions in Ukraine.

The two ambulances sets off for Ukraine on Thursday as part of a five-vehicle convoy delivering essential aid, including generators, chainsaws, food and medicines to frontline communities.