LOCAL Looe volunteers including members of Lions Club of Looe recently returned from delivering an ambulance and two other vehicles to Ukraine, writes Andy French from Lions Club of Looe. 

All three were full of medical aid, clothing and supplies desperately needed by Ukrainians, many of whom have been made homeless by the war and have been able to salvage very few belongings, if any at all.

Mark Kendall, Tatyana the main contact for the volunteers, Andy French, the Mayor, Tim Johnson and Kim Campbell at the Dobroslav sculpture.
Mark Kendall, Tatyana the main contact for the volunteers, Andy French, the Mayor, Tim Johnson and Kim Campbell at the Dobroslav sculpture. (Lions Club of Looe)

Andy French and Tim Johnson, both from Looe Lions, travelled to Ukraine with Kim Campbell and Mark Kendall, who have made the trip to Poland and Ukraine delivering humanitarian aid numerous times before. 

Their trip took around 10 days with a 2,200 mile drive there, before flying back.

None of this would have been possible without the fantastic support of local businesses and the community in Looe and the surrounding area, as well as The Lions Club of Looe, through sponsorship of the ambulance and donations of money, clothes and supplies.

Tatyana, Mark Kendall, Andy French, the Mayor, Tim Johnson, Kim Campbell at the municipal offices in Dobroslav.
Tatyana, Mark Kendall, Andy French, the Mayor, Tim Johnson, Kim Campbell at the municipal offices in Dobroslav. (Lions Club of Looe)

The volunteers heard heartbreaking stories and saw sights that showed the plight of many in Ukraine. They are a proud people but so very grateful for the aid; to know that people far away are thinking of them and they are not forgotten.

Visiting one of the hospitals caring for soldiers, the volunteers met many casualties who are physically injured but also mentally scarred by their experiences. They have very little in the way of personal belongings and many are now homeless as their homes have been destroyed. 

The Mayor of Dobroslav, Luidmila Prokopechko, with a message of thanks on the Ukrainian flag.
The Mayor of Dobroslav, Luidmila Prokopechko, with a message of thanks on the Ukrainian flag. (Lions Club of Looe)

Included with the humanitarian aid were some forty shoe boxes filled with toiletries, socks, underwear and sweets, as a small personal gesture to the injured soldiers; they were delighted to receive these and the sweets made their faces really light up.

The hospital had requested exercise equipment for the recovering soldiers. This too was sourced and delivered and we have seen footage of it being used. The hospital itself is pretty grim and overcrowded with only basic facilities, unsurprising in such circumstances, but the exercise equipment will help.

The soldiers built the gym in the exercise yard themselves using materials funded by a local charity. Building the gym and using the donated equipment has been and will be very beneficial to their mental as well as physical health.

A certificate of appreciation from Dobroslav presented to the group thanking the municipality and residents of Looe.
A certificate of appreciation from Dobroslav presented to the group thanking the municipality and residents of Looe. (Lions Club of Looe)

The next trip to deliver aid will be in October or November. This is very much dependent on the support and donations received from our community. The winters in Ukraine are very cold, and with the Russians targeting power supplies there will be a need for warm clothes and bedding as well as the usual medical and aid supplies.

If you can help, please visit www.aid2ukraine.org and select the ‘how to help’ menu option.