In early February Paul Kelly, Sara McNeillis & I will be driving to Ukraine in a freezer van filled with medical and injury rehabilitation kit. If border crossings are smooth and the winter weather allows, it will take 3-4 days to cover the 2,300km.

The van and equipment will cost around £12,000 and we are hoping you can help finance us. This is will be my fourth trip to Ukraine, in October, supported by Justgiving, James Gaselee & I raised over £8,000 and our van was filled with new rehabilitation beds, patients hoists, spinal beds, wheel chairs and rehabilitation weights. If Paul & I are able to raised more than £12,000 we will look to buy an old 110 Landrover station wagon which the Mercy & Health Foundation have requested to use to move their volunteers across Ukraine.

The kit we buy will be used by the Mercy & Health Foundation, an Ukraine charity set up by Dr Olexsandr Yatsyna, who is also a Director of the National Cancer Institute in Kyiv. The Foundation supports over 30 hospitals and projects such as drilling for water in Kramatorsk, Donetsk as the Russians are destroying the infrastructure. Olexsandr is now focusing on the huge task of supporting the physically and mentally wounded. The Foundation has established one rehabilitation centre, is equipping a second and has plans for a third. These centres will support casualties from the conflict including 41,000 so far who have lost limbs. It's a sad reality of the conflict but the freezer van will be used to transport the dead. The situation in Ukraine is worsening with ever increasing Russian attacks on the power infrastructure and civilians areas across the whole country. Even if the war ends early next year, the task of rehabilitation will only just be beginning. On average around 300 Ukrainians are killed or wounded every day.

As we know, the UK has been a huge source of support for the Ukrainian people, and I think most of us would like to keep helping in some way as they continue to fight and to support the casualties of the war.

We are also able to accept charity cheques via an arrangement with Ukraine Action (a UK Registered charity – number 1202133). Paul & I can provide details.

Photos show Dr Olexsandr with Charlie and James Gaselee outside Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region in October and with Nick Milne and Charlie in May unloading the van in Kyiv.

Thank you so much for any donation - Paul, Sara & Charlie