February 2022 - We bought our 15th ambulance with remaining funds from Chipping Campden. It was driven to Ukraine by banker Roxanne Litynska and her husband, Dr Dennis Ougrin, of Medical Aid Ukraine. They drove from London to Zaporizhzhia City Hospital to drop off the medical supplies, then to a nearby town to deliver the ambulance. The town used to home to 15,000 people. Only 2,000 remain, mainly elderly, in difficult conditions. There is no gas, electricity or water; most buildings are destroyed or significantly damaged by daily bombings. A year has gone by since the invasion. We continue to do what we can to help the people of Ukraine from our corner of South Warwickshire.

December 2022 - The incredible team from Chipping Campden, pictured below, set themselves a target to send an ambulance to Ukraine - and raised enough to send two - in less than 3 weeks! Thanks to their donation, we delivered another set of ambulances, this time by transporter, given the severe weather. In a side-by-side mission, an additional ambulance, sponsored by Stop Start Logistics of Worcester, met the transporter in Poland. Owner and an experienced HGV driver, Steven, made the journey with business partner, Chris Pullen, alongside Dr. Tania Hebert and husband Thomas who drove an SUV purchased by Ambulance Aid.

We close 2022, having delivered a bakers dozen of ambulances and an additional two SUVs in partnership with Medical Aid Ukraine. Thank you to all the drivers, sponsors, fundraisers, and everyone who gave what they could to support Ukraine from our corner of the West Midlands. We continue our journey, and pray for victory and peace in Europe in 2023.

Monday 7 November - TARGET INCREASED - Thanks to an incredible donation from Knight Architects, we have hit our target of £50k and can fund an additional ambulance. Will be be possible to stretch and make it an even TWELVE?

NOVEMBER 2022 - Ambulances NINE and TEN safely delivered to Poland by drivers Isabel and Nick from Warwick and Stratford Districts, in a mission made possible by the incredible fundraising of Warwick Boat Club. Our "anonymous philanthropist" friends from Henley-on-Thames sponsored an AA vehicle and their own journey. Now with Ukrainian volunteers, the ambulances are en route to their final destinations. The mission was co-ordinated by Dr Tania Hébert of Medical Aid Ukraine - our thanks to all supporters, "ground crew", volunteers and donors of medical supplies 🙏🏼🚑🇺🇦 You fuel the missions.

OCTOBER 2022 - Our friends at Stratford on Avon District Ambulance Association, a charity providing first aid cover for events, offered donations of medical equipment and supplies for Ukraine. One conversation led to another and we agreed to buy their vehicle, nicknamed AERO.

AERO, our EIGHTH ambulance, was handed over to Ukrainian volunteer group SMART Medical Aid by Mayor Gill Cleeve of Stratford Town Council and Dr Tania Hébert of Medical Aid Ukraine. Another vehicle, LEO, originally belonging to Warwick District Ambulance Association, sadly didn't make the journey but it is now in the hands of British Ukrainian Aid in London being repaired and we hope it will go on to do its good work.

AUGUST 1 2022 - TWO more ambulances delivered in our fourth mission as the latest set of drivers return to Warwickshire.

The team are delighted to welcome back the four co-drivers who delivered the ambulance donated by the set of Holby City and another Mercedes Sprinter funded by our supporters. They left Stratford upon Avon Friday afternoon and handed over in Poland just 20 miles from the Ukraine border in the early hours of Sunday morning. The July side-by-side mission with two other groups from Coventry was overseen by Tania Hébert of Medical Aid Ukraine in the West Midlands who worked with Stay Safe Ukraine to coordinate the handover and paperwork, ensuring safe passage across the border and arrival at identified hospitals. We are grateful to all for their part in securing this delivery.

THANKS TO ALL VOLUNTEERS who collected, sorted, catalogued and packed thousands of items of medical aid - you fill 🚑🚑

THANKS TO ALL SUPPORTERS who gave storage space, time and expertise, who fixed our ambulances at short notice - you fuel 🚑🚑

THANKS TO ALL SPONSORS who donated financially and in kind - you fund 🚑🚑

LATEST NEWS - We continue to fundraise as one of the first two ambulances donated and delivered by Alf & Mark has been destroyed. Everyone is deeply relieved no casualties in the shelling of the building. However, we have been told the ambulance was being used on a daily basis to ferry wounded. Ambulance Aid is on standby to deliver another two ambulances, including Holby City. It is going out to save real lives.

UPDATE JULY 2022 - Ambulance Aid has now fundraised and delivered five ambulances and one donated SUV, thanks to our supporters and sponsors.

This month, four Warwickshire women drove another ambulance purchased by Ambulance Aid funds and an SUV donated by IM Group of Solihull. The two emergency vehicles were packed with over 28,000 items of medical supplies, sorted and itemised by local volunteers from Medical Aid Ukraine - West Midlands.

Items included medical equipment such as patient monitors and infusion pumps kindly donated by Warwick Hospital SWFT, and external fixators - limb saving equipment - donated by the Barbers Association on recommendation of leading Orthopaedic surgeon (and previous driver) Dr Chris Lavy.

The BBC-donated Holby City ambulance was held back for repairs and will now be heading out in July. We are increasing our JustGiving target to £40,000 to buy an additional ambulance and fund the delivery of these two vehicles.

Community donations are welcomed - many medical supplies can be purchased over the counter. We encourage shops and community facilities to set up “MedicalBanks”: secure collection points in villages and towns in South Warwickshire. Contact the group for the list of supplies and to arrange collection. Contact Tania Hébert at medicalaidukraine.westmidlands@gmail.com if you can help.

UPDATE JUNE 1 2022 - We have now sent a total of four ambulances to Ukraine with the funds raised to date. The team are on a last push now to fund an additional ambulance to accompany the BBC-donated Mercedes Sprinter from the set of Holby City.

Handover in Poland of two more ambulances by drivers, Ian Smith and Tim Spurgeon, Vivian Addy and Chris Lavy (pictured)

UPDATE MAY 2022 - Since Alf, Mark, Richard and Bogdan drove the original two ambulances to Poland in April, this page has raised £25,000.

Alf and Mark bought decommissioned Mercedes Sprinters, as they are the most reliable make and model of emergency vehicle and parts are readily available. These currently cost £8k-£9k. With associated expenses such as ferries, fuel, servicing and insurance, we need to raise in the region of £10k-£12k to buy and fund delivery of one ambulance to the Polish/Ukraine border. With such goodwill from the region, the team has decided to stretch their target, to pay for two more ambulances in addition to the costs of the first trip.

LAUNCH APRIL 2022 - Alf Rajkowski, a retired businessman based in Hampton Lucy, has close family ties to Poland. Like everyone, he has watched events in Ukraine unfold with horror. Determined to personally make a difference, he put a call out to his network including Snitterfield Sports Club and Stratford Tennis Club. From a kitchen table in Snitterfield, Ambulance Aid was founded. The non-profit organisation is run entirely by local volunteers offering time and professional expertise to oversee fundraising and the purchase of emergency vehicles.

Ambulance Aid is raising funds to buy de-commissioned NHS ambulances, which cost in the region of £8 to £10k. Alf and his friend, Mark Pritchard-Jeffs, have already purchased two ambulances and are making arrangements to leave early April 2022. They will deliver the vehicles to an ambulance service in Poland who arrange the border crossing into Ukraine. Alf and Mark will then fly home to the UK.

Working with Ambulance Aid is Tania Hébert, a Ukrainian GP living and working in Coventry. She is the West Midlands lead for Medical Aid Ukraine (MAU), a UK network of Ukrainian and other doctors. MAU is a collaboration of the charities British Ukrainian Aid and Ukranian Medical Association in UK. They are cooperating with the Ministry of Health in Ukraine, and have been successful, in contrast with other larger charity organisations, in getting aid out to distant Ukrainian cities in the East, South and North.

Tania and MAU have arranged for a letter of authorisation for the ambulances from the Ukrainian Embassy and Ukrainian Ministry of Health for Customs, as is the case for all their transports, allowing the transportation of medical equipment. Secure routes have been agreed.

Tania, through MAU, is liaising directly with the Ministry of Health and many medical colleagues and friends in Ukrainian hospitals. They have set up a simple google form for Ukrainian hospitals to formally request supplies, and have IT systems and logistics team which match donations in the UK to requests in Ukraine.

Aeros at Wellesbourne Airfield have provided Medical Aid Ukraine West Midlands with safe and secure storage so that donated medical supplies can be sorted by local volunteers.

Donations in kind are sought from health care settings in South Warwickshire. This includes: NHS trusts, GP surgeries, care homes, dental surgeries, healthcare companies, veterinary practices and pharmacies. Contact Tania Hébert at medicalaidukraine.westmidlands@gmail.com if you can help.

Community donations are also welcomed as some medical supplies can be purchased over the counter. We encourage shops and community facilities to set up “MedicalBanks”: secure collection points in villages and towns in South Warwickshire. Contact the group for the list of supplies and to arrange collection.

A non-profit company in the name of Ambulance Aid Ltd has been set up to receive funds. Directors include local professionals giving their time free of charge to provide oversight.

Any remaining funds will be donated to Medical Aid Ukraine - part of British Ukrainian Aid (Charity number: 164472)