Help Our Ukrainian Friends sets off on its 14th aid convoy

Five tonnes of emergency aid is on its way to help communities in Ukraine.

Members of the Help Our Ukrainian Friends (HOUF) support group have embarked on their 14th convoy to help people on the frontline.

Eight drivers are taking turns to drive four transit vans across Europe to a hospital in the Sumy region.

Convoy team leader Dave Ribakovs said: “This is our 14th trip out delivering donated essential medicines, toiletries, basic food supplies, camping gas and stoves, plus donated children’s bikes, tablets, laptops and musical instruments.

“These items are desperately needed, not only to keep often elderly residents living close to the frontline fed and healthy, but also to ensure Ukrainian children can continue to learn and develop, even under such difficult and often frightening circumstances.”

HOUF, which was founded after a meeting in Helpston and has supporters in Stamford, has been supported by the Peterborough-based company Princebuild. Its directors Dale Asplin and Mark Asplin have provided vans and joined the convoy. They previously donated three vacuum machines which are helping people to recover from complex wounds.

Ukrainian medic Dr Oleg said: “I am extremely grateful for the donation of these devices and we are already very pleased with their performance. Thanks to these machines we can treat both civilian and military patients suffering from a range of injuries from shrapnel wounds to severe bedsores.

“Thanks to this support we can treat a range of patients more effectively and provide peace of mind to the families of loved ones under our care.”

The hospital staff will require more cannisters and dressing sponges to continue using the machines. HOUF has set up a fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/helpingourukrainianfriends2023 for anyone who would like to donate.