UKRAINE 1ST - MEDICINES, FOOD, CRITICAL SUPPORT

FOR REGULAR NEWS I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CLICK ON UPDATES. THESE TELL YOU ABOUT THE LATEST MISSION AND ALLOWS YOU TO SCROLL TO EARLIER UPDATES AND SEE WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED. 

It's important to note that the Target Raised Is Not the Same As the Funds Remaining. This figure continually changes as we use funds to buy and deliver aid. If my latest update is a report of a recently completed mission  then almost certainly the majority if not all of the funds shown will have been spent as I maximise the aid I take on each occasion .

With your help we can still make a real difference to the lives of those struggling against Russian aggression in  Ukraine.

I am updating this page on 26 May 2024 and doing so waiting for a flight home from Krakow in Poland. I have just completed a very challenging mission to Kharkiv which you can read  about in my Update pages. In short, Kharkiv city is under a constant barrage of missile and glide bomb attacks. There is no defence for those living in the city. At the beginning of the invasion the population went from around 1.5 million to 300,000 but then many returned and have stayed. The city defiantly tries to function, despite the bombing and its impact on the basic infrastructure - the city has long periods without power and water can also be affected. Children's sports teams still gather to play one another,  some restaurants, cafes, bars and shops still open,  but it is becoming increasingly difficult as the Russian assault has increased and now there are  some families choosing to move away to safety again. There were 11 strikes the day I arrived to deliver aid with a printing house taking a direct hit from a glide bomb resulting in its total destruction and the deaths of seven people and over 40 injuries - all civilians. The  4x4 I brought to support rescuing the injured and getting them quickly to medical centres was soon put to work. I was fortunate to get out on the day I did as the following day a glide bomb struck a supermarket I was staying close to killing 11 people and wounding dozens more. Fire quickly swept through it, and with an estimated 200 people shopping at the time the death and injury toll is bound to rise. The real problem is that with the  Russian border just 30kms from the centre of Kharkiv there is no time to react and Kharkiv has no air defence capability. There is an ongoing need to help the many innocent civilians who are the victims of this aggression and with your support I am committed to continuing my missions to the areas most in need in the south and east of Ukraine.  Details of the missions so far can be found by clicking on the Update tab where you can scroll down and go back and see the different support donors have provided over the last 2 years.  Thank you for your interest and any help you can give. A 

A week after that invasion began in February 2022 I arrived at the railway station in Pzremyl on the Polish border which quickly became the hub for those crossing to the safety of refuges and homes in many European cities. In the six weeks I was there it is reported that 25% of the Ukranian population left their homes and it certainly felt like it for those of us meeting the trains and buses crammed with frightened and bewildered, mostly women and children. It was a tough time as we tried to provide practical and emotional support – food, clothing, a space for a mum to lie down and rest whilst I held and fed a tiny baby with formula milk. 

The large network I built up at that time, comprising military, local politicians, health workers and local NGOs has enabled me to continue to respond to the constantly changing humanitarian needs of the communities in and near the frontline of the conflict. Over the period I have been alongside those in Lviv, Kharkiv, Kherson, towns south of Belarus  and villages near the eastern front like the heavily shelled Donhenke.  Aid as varied as generators, wood burning stoves, boots and clothing, medical equipment, food blankets, building material and vehicles have all been purchased and delivered to where it is needed. 

But it has become increasing more difficult and dangerous to operate. I know of volunteers who have lost their lives, or who have been injured and I am also aware of others who have been captured and are held in Russia. The increased deployment of drones, along with artillery and missile fire, often deployed in different places at different times as weapons of terror, heap physical and psychological damage on vulnerable civilians and make the aid effort difficult.  I get many questions about why I am still returning and the impact this must have for my family. Of course this concerns me but the commitment of so many to Ukraine lies in a belief that we all share a common humanity and if we believe in freedom and democracy then we must be prepared to live and defend the values which are their foundation. Generations of our forefathers did this for us, selflessly sacrificing themselves. My generation in particular has enjoyed opportunities largely denied by the ordinary working people who went before us – education for all,  employment, social mobility, universal health care, house ownership.  I understand that many of these advantages have come under considerable pressure of late and there is real need in our own communities . It’s  hard to understand for people who do not live the reality of what many ordinary people in Ukraine experience every day – food poverty, homes lost, loved ones fighting on the front line, relatives with life changing injuries, or killed, children traumatised, others abducted and taken to Russia, the vulnerable deliberately targeted. 

This is the second Crowdfunder campaign. Over the period  because of your generosity we have just exceeded £125,000 raised which is an incredible achievement and I cannot thank enough all of those who have contributed, many on more than one occasion.    I encourage you to read my updates on this site to get an idea of the impact this work is having. 

It's clear that the conflict is not going to end any time soon and I am committed to continuing to do all I can to support those who I believe are fighting for not just their own freedom but for the very values which make us human and for the lifestyes we all take for granted today. I've met many of the extraordinary people who have come together to defend their families and nation - they are shop workers, teachers, students, IT professionals, health workers - they are like all of us - ordinary people trying to do their best to repel the Russian forces.  Many are being brutalised, raped, tortured, and  paying with their lives. The freedoms we enjoy and want for our families and loved ones are worth fighting for. The Ukranians believe this and are giving their lives for it. I know that you also share my belief that in a small way we can  make a difference and help relieve some of the pain and suffering for someone.  Thank you for being at my side on this. 

The words all Ukrainians know:

Keep fighting — you are sure to win!

God helps you in your fight!

For fame and freedom march with you,

And right is on your side!

Please help me to help the innocent victims of the war in Ukraine by donating what you can.