In 2018, I had the pleasure of travelling to Ukraine with two great friends on a fund raising charity trip for our local First Responders. I only spent three days in Kyiv but found the people to be decent, friendly, warm and welcoming. For that reason, I decided to do something to help them.

Our first trip!

We visited Ukraine in April 2022, with a suitcase of childrens clothes and sweets and plus a debit card with nearly £7,000 to spend on food and essentials. We flew to Krakow and met with Igor, a Ukrainian refugee who moved to Poland after Russia invaded.

Our first trip was to a supermarket, where we filled the bus with supplies – twelve full shopping trollies in total!

We headed to Jaroslaw in Poland for the night and the next day, after a surprisingly short three hours, we crossed into Ukraine and headed for Lviv for the first of our food drops to refugees living in apartments.

From Lviv, we went East to Ternopil and met with the leaders of a church which feeds 200 people a day. After learning what they needed, we went to a missionary refuge where we unloaded all of our supplies and were given food and a bed for the night.

The next day, we went to a huge cash and carry and filled the minibus again, this time to take to the church. We filled their stockroom with enough food to feed 200 people for around two weeks.

That afternoon, we visited two local schools which have been turned into refugee centres, with ten or twelve people living on mattresses on the floor of classrooms. Many had been injured, most had lost everything and all were in tears to see that we had travelled to bring something.

After this, more shopping for the missionary refuge and then we returned to Lviv. An interesting evening with air raid sirens but luckily, no actual raid!

On the Sunday, we bought more supplies and crossed back into Poland. We headed to Krakow where we said goodbye to Igor who then drove the supplies to Warsaw to distribute to fellow Ukrainians living near him.

An amazing trip, full of emotion and great satisfaction. To see the look on the face of a person who has next to nothing when you give them enough food for a week is something quite valuable. To know you helped is priceless and we created some memories in those few days that we will never forget.

Our second trip!

We had a successful second trip to Ukraine in June 2022, visiting Rivne, Kyiv, Velyka Dymerka, Irpin and Bucha.

A far more disturbing trip than the first. On our first trip, we met many people living in uncomfortable but safe surroundings. This time, we visited people living in what remained of their shattered homes. Some still had remnants of Russian missiles in their gardens and all had experienced the worst of humanity.

The devastation we experienced in Irpin and Bucha was worse than anything you have seen on the news. Home after home destroyed but people were still trying to live there despite no water and no electricity.

One of the saddest moments was meeting Anastacia and her mother. Anastacia is disabled and she and her parents had fled their home in the East when the Russians invaded. They were living in an unused school in Rivne along with more than 100 other refugees. We gave them plenty of food and promised we would find medicine in Kyiv and post it back for Anastacia.

This was an eye opening experience and, at times, a quite upsetting one. Nevertheless, it made us more determined than even to continue doing whatever we can.

Our third trip

AUgust 2022, we flew to Poland and again, met with Igor. He had already been shopping and had dozens of bags of food to distribute. We drove into Ukraine with two Ukrainian women and their children who were desperate to return home and dropped one off with her family in Korostyshiv. The young boy hadn't seen his grandfather since the war started and they hugged for the whole time we were there.

From there, the long drive to Kyiv, taking the other lady and her son safely home.

Our first full day in Kyiv meant an early vist to the cash and carry and this was the pattern for the next three days, buying food , packing identical bags, loading them into our minibus and driving to destroyed towns and villages to deliver it. We visited Chernihiv, Bohdanivka, Borodyanka, Vyleka Dymerka and others. All had people living in shattered homes, often without water or electricity.

An additional and very moving part of our trip was to take the ashes of a young British soldier, Jordan Gatley who died in June whilst fighting with the International Legion. He was posthumously awarded Ukraines highest military honour and I was proud to collect this on his parents behalf.

Our fourth trip!

Our fourth trip was easily the most successful, most rewarding and most unnerving. We flew from Birmingham airport to Warsaw. From there, we drove through heavy snow to the border at Medyka where we parked and walked across to meet Igor. We then started the 400 mile journey to Kyiv, over very poor roads and in heavy snow but couldn't make it all the way and stayed in a hotel near Korostyshiv. Next morning, we hit Kyiv and met with our contacts in the Ukraine army who had arranged for us to take food into an area close to the front line.

We had an extra van, filling it with around £3,800 of food plus a generator for a village that had no electricity since the start of thr war. We went to Odessa and then Mykolaiv for the night. Next morning, we travelled to a church where members of the army were waiting to help us pack 200 separate bags of food. Once loaded, we headed for Oleksandrivka where villagers were waiting for us. Every person here had either lost their home or had it damaged. There was no electricity and the village hall was the hub for everything, with a wood burning stove, makeshift power and an internet connection. We gave food to everyone.

From there we went to Stanislav and handed out more food and it was here that we heard artillery in the distance for the first time. Quite disturbing!

Then, on to Kherson, a city recently liberated by the Ukrainians but still under daily shelling. The devastation there was as bad as anything we had seen in any of our trips and it's hard to imagine what these people have endured. We gave out the rest of our food and headed back to Mykolaiv. We learned later that Kherson was again shelled and people injured.

On Wednesday, we left Mykolaiv to return to Kyiv and visisted a team of soldiers who are responsbile for tracking and shooting down drones and missiles. We then finished Wednesday with more shopping and bagged it ready for delivery on Thursday morning.

On Thursday, after delivering to a nearby village, we went shopping again, this time buying a massive quantity of food to take to the army church in Kyiv where they could then take it further to the front line in Bakhmut. Once unloaded, we returned to the cash and carry for another shop. We bagged this up in sub zero temperatures and, due to failing light, decided to deliver it the next morning.

Friday, our last day in Kyiv, we were woken at 4.00am by air raid sirens. Even though we've heard them many times before, they still send a shiver down your spine. We set off to travel to Chernihiv and met with Valeria who had arranged for a large crowd of people to gather and we handed out all of our food.

As we left Chernihiv to head to Kyiv, most of Ukraine was under air raid alert. It seems that Russia had launched a mass missile attack at Kyiv as well as Kherson where we had been previously and Lviv where we were headed next! However, a safe but long journey took us to Lviv at 10pm that evening. The next morning, we did the last two hours back to Medyka, walked through both border checkpoints and collected our car.

Our fifth trip

All of our aid trips are in memory and honour of Jordan Gatley, an English soldier who died in Ukraine. Jordan’s mum and dad, Sally and Dean, have become great supporters of our aid efforts and Dean joined us for this trip.

We flew to Warsaw and again drove to the border, met with Igor and headed for Kyiv. Although the weather was good, traffic and accidents meant we couldn’t reach Kyiv before the midnight curfew. We stayed in a familiar hotel and made the rest of the journey the next day.

Our first visit was to deliver some goods to Tania & Dima Malinovski who had left Ukraine once the war started. Dima had suffered kidney failure in the past and now needs dialysis every two days. Only in the last two weeks, had he received the assurance that this could be done in Ukraine and he and Tania returned.

From there, we went shopping, filled well over a hundred bags with food and then met with another Dima, our Army friend. He had arranged for us to take food to remote villages north of Kharkiv.

Next morning, we drove to a town called Derhachi to meet with Svetlana from the local government office. For the first time, we were told we needed a permit from the military to enter a conflict zone.

Svetlana led the way, saying we must follow her path exactly due to mines. We headed North East to two villages, the first of which was Mali Prokhody and it was here that we realised just how close we were to the Russian border. The artillery fire sounded much closer than we heard on the last trip and, when we checked the map, Russia was less than 10km (6 miles) away! Mali Prokhody was occupied on the second day of the Russian invasion and lost their electricity then. They still had no electricity when we visited.

At Velyki Prokhody, most buildings were destroyed, including a medical centre that was brand new and due to open five days later. The Russians used the local school as their base and it was tragic to see all of the childrens things but with most of them destroyed and defaced. The school theatre was still full of Russian equipment and the sports hall had been used to hide Russian tanks. In September, when the Ukrainians liberated the village, many of the Russian soldiers were killed and on a blackboard, written by a Russian soldier, was the message that translates into “Forgive Us”.

With our food given out, we returned to Kyiv and, as Dean was with us, we were asked to join members of the International Legion of Ukraine for dinner. These were Jordan Gatley’s comrades and the time spent with them will stay in my mind. We were also presented with a medal from the International Legion representatives.

The next day, Dean stayed with Jordan’s former commander and Dave, Igor and I went shopping, spending a few thousand pounds on food and took it to the Army church for them to bag it and distribute it closer to the frontline. Once unloaded, we returned for more shopping, this time bagging it up in the normal way.

It was late by the time we finished and we called it a day. The next day, we returned to a village we visited last year, Velyka Dymerka. Some things had changed here, with some people managing to start rebuilding their homes but others were not so lucky.

By now, the money was spent and we decided to start the long journey back to the Polish border, breaking it overnight at Pantaliya, near Rivne. The next day, we finished up at Medyka around lunchtime, had the customary farewell photo with Igor and crossed the border back to the car before driving to Warsaw.

Our sixth trip

OUR SIXTH TRIP WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT!

This time, we took a car to donate to the Ukrainian Army. We set off late on Thursday 24th August and made it to Lviv in Ukraine for Saturday night, finishing in Kyiv at 3.30pm on Sunday 27th with a total of around 1,750 miles. We met with Igor and went shopping, then packed over 100 bags of food to deliver the next day. We then took the car to the Army Church, handed it over and got to bed.

Next day, off to Chernihiv. Just outside the city, a party of around 100 people were waiting for us. We handed out 100 bags of food and gave two children some knitted gifts from the amazing Nutty Knitters group in Nantwich. With that done, we headed back to Kyiv to buy more food and packed another 100 bags for the next day when we visit a place we haven't seen before.

Another long day Tuesday. Drove back to Chernihiv to pick up Anton, a new guide and then north for a further three hours to Orlivka, a village close to both the Belarus and the Russian borders. At the village church, people were waiting and we handed out food. The drive back was the same five hours and no time to shop for the next day.

Wednesday morning, around 5.00am, Kyiv came under attack again, with a missile hitting a supermarket around 2.5 miles from our hotel. Out for early shopping before heading off to a village called Dymer, stopping on the way at Sirius Dog Rescue to give them dog food. A warm welcome from everyone at Dymer and again, all of our food was given out.

No drama on the Wednesday night and, after an early food shop and delivery, we took the eight hour drive from Kyiv to the Polish border. We walked across the border and the next day, took a six hour train trip to Warsaw, ending up there at 4.30pm before flying home the next day.

Our seventh trip

Again a different trip. This time, on my own, with a flight from Birmingham to Krakow, a train from Krakow to Przemsyl and a taxi for the final bit to Medyka. Crossed the border, met with Igor and headed to Lviv where we met with Taras to hand equipment over to him. After that, the long drive to Kyiv, arriving at a hotel with just ten minutes to spare before the midnight curfew!

We had agreed to visit Kharkiv and Dnipro so the first morning was spent shopping with our biggest load ever - enough food to fill 220 identical bags. All the food was packed in the cold car park and we then delivered 20 of the bags to local people and grabbed an early night ready for the long day the next day.

Next day, up and out at 6.30am for the 500km drive to Kharkiv with terrible roads, sometimes travelling at 20mph or less due to the potholes. At Kharkiv, we met with Konstantin who had arranged for a large group of people to be there. As we arrived, air raid sirens were sounding and we were given coffee before meeting the 200 people. All 200 bags were given out and we headed off to Dnipro where we immediately went shopping, this time packing 230 bags in the dark and the snow at 11.30pm! Finally a hotel and a good sleep.

Next morning, we drove to Synel'nykove, meeting with a lady called Alla. Alla heads up a church in Synel'nykove and proudly showed us the building they are preparing as a new community centre before taking us to their existing place where she had arranged for a hundred people or so to meet with us. We handed out food, shared hugs and had tears with many of the people and then drove back to Dnipro with Alla to the cultural centre where Alla has another church congregation and a childrens club. We distributed the rest of our food and, as we finished, the children presented us with drawings and with hand made bracelets.

Then a sad goodbye to Alla, with us promising we will return. After a seven hour drive back to Kyiv, I arrived in my hotel and had the first beer of the trip. One minute later, the air raid warning sounded but the beer was too good to leave!

Next day, we had the pleasure of a later start, with me being persuaded to walk on the frozen Dnipro River in Kyiv whilst many locals were making holes in the ice to catch fish! Then, off to the cash and carry for more shopping, spending the last of our food money on food to take to the army church. Due to a change of plan, we couldn't meet the church members that afternoon so it left me free to take the Kyiv Metro to the centre of Kyiv via Arsenalna, the deepst underground station in Europe. A 20 minute journey, costing just 17 pence!

The afternoon in Kyiv was wonderful, with the city being as vibrant, colourful and picturesque as ever. The sad part being that the sea of flags in the main square that marks the fallen solders has grown beyond recognition.

Next morning, off to distribute some food to local people before delivering the food from the day before to the army church. We then went with our friend Dima to a local equipment warehouse where we had a special purchase to make. The local Soroptomists in Nantwich had kindly raised enough money to buy another generator and, after choosing this, we delivered it to Grisha in the village of Hlevakha.

We returned to Kyiv to change vehicles and, on the way,, drove through a residential area that had been under missile or drone attack earlier in the month. Many damaged buildings and several destroyed cars. From there, we headed to Lviv and found a hotel for the night.

Next day, just a two hour trip to the border and, on the way, we stopped in Mostyska where we met a Canadian man who had been in Ukraine for just one day after joining the International Legion. He was getting his army ID sorted and happily posed for a photo. I hope he stays safe. From here, we drove to the border at Medyka and, after the normal sad goodbye to Igor, I took a taxi to Przemsyl and a train to Krakow.

The eighth trip

Again, on my own for this trip. Took a train from Stafford to Birmingham airport, then flew to Krakow. Next day, a train to Przemsyl and a new train all the way to Kyiv. Arrived in Kyiv at 9.15pm and immediately went to a cash and carry where Igor's friends had already started shopping. By the time we had finished, it was dark but we managed to pack 200 bags and load them into the van for the next day. Then off to a hotel for a much needed sleep.

Next day, out at 5.30am for the 7 hour drive to Dnipro. We arrived in Synel'nykove to meet with Alla and Pasha. We gave out food to some lovely people and then headed back to Dnipro where we met children and were given gifts again. Outside, we handed out the remainder of the food and, after saying goodbye to Alla, went with Pasha to a building that suffered a direct hit from a missile earlier in the year and were shown the cuddly toy memorial that had been created. Very sad to see. Lastly, more shopping!

Friday, under constatnt air raid sirens, we headed to Kharkiv, where we again met with Konstantin who had organised for a large crowd of people to meet us. All received food and we also met a lady called Anna who needed some additional equipment and supplies such as cooking pans and utensils. We provided what we could and said we would provide more next time. After this, six hours back to Kyiv.

The next day had the bonus of a lie in! I was collected by Igor at 9.30am and then straight off to get fuel for van and coffee. From there, a two hour drive to Orane, with detours to bypass demolished bridges.

Once at Orane, there was a massive crowd of people and it's the first time where there was no order. The people were clearly desperate for food and after much pushing and shoving, we managed to get the van doors open and 150 bags were gone in 7 minutes! That's less than 3 seconds per bag and a record for us.

From Orane, a two hour drive back to Kyiv where we met with another Igor and two of his daughters at a Metro cash and carry. Another 150 bags packed ready for the next day and, by 8.30pm, I was back to my hotel.

What a day the next day turned out to be! Certainly the most exciting, scary and all round satisfying day I've had! Also, one of the longest!

Out at 5.30am and we started out towards Sumy where we were to meet representatives from the military and the local police. It was a relatively short trip of 330 kilometres (205 miles) but, in parts, the roads were the worst I've experienced and it was still a journey of nearly five hours.

Once at Sumy, we met with our guides and they were to take us first to a small village called Bilopillya which was around 6 miles from the Russian border and then onto another village which was even closer. It was another hours drive from Sumy and, when we arrived we met with the lady mayor of the village and she joined us as we visited certain houses to drop off bags of food.

Most of the people in the village are refugees, having been evacuated from villages even closer to the border than this one. In many houses, people were sharing with different families and just doing all they can to survive.

After visiting a few houses, we headed towards the next village and we were stopped at an Army checkpoint. They insisted we turn around and head back as the village we were heading for was being shelled! We headed back to Bilopillya and met people in the main street but were then warned that a Russian drone was often in the skies overhead and we were told not to stay in one place for long and not to gather as a large crowd. As we were handing out food, there was a very loud crack, like thunder and they came in pairs every few minutes as artillery was being fired. It's the closest I've been to it and it's really quite scary.

Our guides took the decision that we should evacuate the area as it might become too dangerous. We took a good number of bags to the local administration building for people to collect and then made one final but very sad stop. A house on the outskirts of the village was a refuge for many older people, some bed bound, some injured and all displaced from their homes, many of which have been destroyed. Really heartbreaking and the second time I've been in tears this trip. I thought I had hardened to the sad scenes but clearly not.

We left them with the last of our food bags and said goodbye to our guides who left us to make our way back to Sumy and from there, we headed back to Kyiv, arriving at the Metro cash and carry in time for the last big shopping session. With 100 bags packed and in the van, it was back to the hotel for my normal fine dining and a comfortable bed. An eighteen hour day and a memorable one!

The next day was another luxurious lie in with Igor collecting me from my hotel at 9.00am. From there, onto a quite amazing store called Epicentre which genuinely has everything under one roof. We had money set aside to buy a generator to take to a village East of Kyiv. The money for this was raised by two good people who arranged a fund raising quiz earlier in the year. The last two we have bought have been around £800 each and we expected the same. But, with a little help from the exchange rate and falling prices, we managed to get two. With them loaded onto our van, we went off to deliver the food we packed the day before.

Igor had previously met some people who were all refugees from the North and East of Ukraine and all living in an abandoned apartment block. The organiser behind this, gives them accommodation free of charge on the condition that they work two hours a day, every day, to make camouflage nets for the Army. Because Igor knew I had wanted to see this and wanted to have a go, this was a perfect place to visit.

Before food was given out, I had a crash course in weaving ribbons through 5cm holes in the netting and was then left to do it myself. After this, we went outside to meet the people who had gathered and we handed out the food. A great bunch but living in such sad and poor conditions.

From there, we headed off to the village to deliver both generators. One was going to be based at a house we have been to before. A mother and son live there and he is disabled. Until recently, his mother has cared for him but she has recently had a stroke and is now unable to even look after herself. They need a reliable electrical supply and it was great to help them. The other generator will be used to give villagers the opportunity to charge phones when the power is cut off.

Whilst in this village, I noticed a row of photos of fallen soldiers and Igor explained they were all from the village. Desperately sad to see, especially the photos of the young men. Igor took me to the village cemetery where the graves of fallen soldiers are so beautifully decorated, all with Ukrainian flags flying proudly. I paid my respects and, as we were leaving, an older lady arrived on her bicycle and went to one grave. We watched as she talked to her dead son, sobbing as she did so.

After all the highs, lows and scares of the last couple of days, my emotions were a bit battered and all I could do is cry. It was heartbreaking to see. I asked Igor to tell her I was so sorry for her loss and then we watched as she went to every other soldiers grave and placed something on it. Certainly one of my saddest moments.

From there, it was back to a Metro cash and carry to spend the last of the money on 30 bags of food for Dima, our Army Chaplain friend, to take to disadvantaged children. Some of them are in foster care and all are living in unfortunate circumstances. Dima is also the guy that supplies us with helmets and body armour and, on this trip, we have come the closest to needing it. We met with Dina, handed over the food and returned the body armour. Time for a quick photo, then on to take some food to Tanya and another Dima who we have met before. Lovely people and they make us so welcome and we were joined by Alina who we have also met before. Again, a photo and off we went.

We then drove to Independence Square in the centre of Kyiv for me to do the last task of this trip. As you know, I have come to know Jordan Gatleys parents, Sally and Dean and his brother Adam very well. The family have been fantastic in their support of our aid trips and every trip we have done since August 2022 has been in memory and honour of Jordan. Over time, I have come in contact with mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of other fallen soldiers and have offered to place a photo in the memorial square. With Igor's help, we placed five and will do this for anyone in the future.

RIP Jordan Gatley, Chris 'Pezz' Perryman, James Hands, Dominic Abelen and Kane Te Tai. All heroes and all gave their life fighting for the freedom of a good country.

The next day was my last day in Ukraine for this trip. Collected by Igor, we started the eight hour drive to the border, stopping first for essential coffee and fuel.

After over 600 kilometres involving accidents, checkpoints, more fuel and even more coffee, we arrived at the border town of Shehyni. Always a sad time to say goodbye to Igor, the guy who gets me into and out of more scrapes than you can imagine. An amazing man who never seems to need sleep and runs on Red Bull and espresso coffee. A genuine guardian angel and, to some of my friends, a legend!

From there, across the Ukrainian border crossing point into Poland. From there, a taxi to Przemsyl and a train to Krakow. The next day, a flight home.

The ninth trip

I came back from my ninth trip at the end of September and what a scary trip it was. Certainly the one with the most air raids and the odd missile landing close but it was also the most successful and satisfying.

Again, a train to the station, station to the airport and a flight to Krakow, arriving early evening. The next day, a very early start from Krakow and a train to Przemsyl, near the border with Ukraine, A ten minute taxi takes me to Medyka and I cross over the border in the quickest time ever. On the other side, my friend Igor is waiting for me and we start what turned out to be a nine hour drive to Kyiv. Once we’re there, we’re straight off to a Metro supermarket to buy enough food for 200 people. Once we’re finished, it’s off to a hotel for some kip.

On Thursday we head off to visit Orane, a town near Chernobyl. On the way, we travel through Ivankiv where flowers line the middle of the road for hundreds of yards and the funeral of a Ukrainian soldier is just starting. An incredibly emotional thing to see, especial when everyone present gets on one knee as the procession comes past. Very loud too with music blaring from the first vehicle but it seemed as if the whole town had turned up for this and it was one of the saddest things I’ve seen there. From Ivankiv, we headed first to Khocheva and met with villagers to give out food. Two people who we have met before insisted on thanking us with a box of chocolates! Very humbling when they have nothing. From Khocheva, we headed to Orane where we have been before and gave out the remainder of our food. Then it was back to Kyiv and back to the shopping, with 200 bags needed for Dnipro the next day. By the time we finish shopping, it’s quite late and we pack the bags in the dark before getting some sleep.

Day 4, Friday, is an early start, leaving at 6.00am for the seven hour drive to Synel’nykove, about an hour east of Dnipro. We meet with Alla who invites us in to the church hall to meet everyone and we give out food to around 100 people. From there, we travel back to Dnipro to meet Alla’s other group and the remaining 100 bags are given out. By this time, it’s around 6.00pm and we head to the nearest Metro to buy food for the next day. Again, we pack in the dark with 150 bags for Kharkiv the next day and, just as we’ve finished, a missile lands on a college about half a mile away. It’s the first time I’ve been that close to anything and it was frightening. We arrive at a hotel around 10.00pm with air sirens constantly sounding and manage to get some sleep.

We start the next day with a flat tyre which delays us a while whilst we sort it. We then head off to Kharkiv where we meet again with Konstantin who has arranged for 150 people to gather to wait for us. We give out food, have our tyre repaired and say goodbye before heading back to Kyiv, a journey of around six hours. The day hasn’t ended yet as we have to go shopping again to pack 200 bags for Cherkasy the following day.

Sunday, we start at 5.30am and we drive to Cherkasy. Along the way our phones warn us of air raids and we see several anti aircraft vehicles by the roadside, awaiting drones or missiles. When we arrive in Cherkasy, the air raid sirens are sounding as we drive to a Soviet era apartment block to deliver food to one family. From there, off to the centre of the city to a church where we give food to one special family and then take the remainder inside. We’re asked to stay for the church service and then I’m asked to give a talk to the congregation. With the help of a fabulous translator, I do my best! We then give food out to everyone there before the air raid warnings send us downstairs to the bomb shelter where we get coffee! An hour or so later, it’s safe to leave and we head back to Kyiv for a relatively early night.

The next day is an easier day, with a lie in until 8.00am! We get the closest thing to a proper breakfast at a kiosk outside the hotel and see the sad sight and sound of another funeral procession. We head off to Metro for the last time to buy food for some people who live in the suburbs of Kyiv. One is Irina, a single mother of two children who works but can barely afford to love. The other is Tanya who also has children but her husband is suffering with kidney failure and he needs dialysis frequently which means he can’t work. We deliver food to them and they both do a lovely thank you ‘video’. From there, we go to meet the army chaplain Dima who gives us lunch of chopped cheese, walnuts and honey. From there, we go to a store where Dima has managed to agree a discount on domestic power banks for people to use within apartments where a generator wouldn’t be safe. We buy two.

Then, a sad part of the day. We travel back to the centre of Kyiv to place a photo of another fallen soldier, Malick Joseph, in the main square. I met Malick on his first day in Ukraine back in January when he had travelled from Canada to join the Ukraine International Legion. I then learned back in June that he had died and promised his dad I would place a photo in the square when I returned.

Day 8 is back to the early starts as we head back to the border with Poland at 6.00am. Always a long drive but plenty to see and, after fuel and coffee stops and a little more shopping for Igor, me arrive in the border town of Sheyni. There, it’s good bye to Igor and I walk through both checkpoints and am back in Poland. A taxi takes me to Przemsyl where I get to relax for an hour before taking a train back to Krakow ready for the flight home the next day.

The tenth trip

I flew to Krakow in Poland on Saturday 18th of January and stayed for the night, arriving very late.

Day 1 - the sad sight of wounded soldiers

Up at 5.00am and a taxi from the hotel takes me Krakow Główny train station and, at 6.25am, I'm on a train to Przemyśl. Arrived there at 9.12am and jump into a taxi to take me to the Polish/Ukrainian border at Medyka. I arrive there and pass through both the Polish and Ukraine border controls in 12 minutes! A few minutes later, I meet the legend that is Igor and we head for Lviv.

After a quick stop for coffee and diesel, we go to Metro cash and carry in Lviv. Igor had been there at 7.00am and the shopping he had sorted just needed paying for. We loaded it into the van and headed for a military rehabilitation hospital which looks after soldiers who have lost limbs in the war. When we arrived, with the help of others, we packed the food into just over 60 bags, one for each soldier currently in care.

Nothing prepared me for this. Each person in this place has lost one, two or even three limbs whilst fighting Russia. An incredibly sad scene but I was humbled by the strong sense of spirit from all these men. Some, with a single prosthetic leg, are eager to return to the front line if they can. These people deserve so much love and respect and I was proud to be in the same room as them. All of them have had their lives changed forever by a maniac in Russia and if you think you have problems, let me introduce you to 62 people who have it far worse and still are defiant, resilient, steadfast and beyond amazing.

The sadness didn't end there. I was also introduced to a beautiful lady who had two lovely children. She learned yesterday that her husband, who is at the front line, has not been heard from or seen for three weeks as is now classed as 'Missing In Action'. A really heartbreaking visit. I had asked Igor to try and arrange a visit to wounded soldiers. I didn't know what to expect but this left me with a lump in my throat.

When we left there, we headed back to Metro in Lviv. Igor and I went shopping and bought 150 packs each of pasta, rice, buckwheat, semolina, sweetcorn, condensed milk, tuna, noodles, ketchup, coffee, cooking oil, salt, soap and biscuits. Paid for it, took it to the car park and, with the help of two people we met earlier, packed it into 150 identical bags for delivery to Chernivitsi tomorrow. Then off to Ivano-Frankivsk for some sleep.

An incredibly tiring day, incredibly emotional and above all, an incredibly rewarding day. I cannot tell you what a privilege it has been to be able to do something to help these people.

Day 2 - a rare breakfast and happy faces.

Another great day which started well and just got better. Had a fabulous sleep in a comfortable bed and even had time for breakfast in a very colourful dining room. Whilst the van was warming up and de-icing, we added the normal aid stickers along with some Rotary Club magnetic signs. The Rotary Club has been an invaluable support to us and these signs are brilliant. We then set off at 8.30 from Ivano-Frankivsk to head to Chernivitsi with the food on board that we packed yesterday.

Arrived in Chernivitsi early with a group of 150 people expecting us for midday. Igor and I were welcomed into their church and, after they prayed for us (very humbling), we went outside to hand out food. All of these people are refugees from the Donetsk region in the East and all have lost their homes. Nevertheless, as with all the Ukrainian people I've met, they may have lost many things but they haven't lost their spirit and their determination. All were very grateful for what we had to give them and, after the traditional photos, we left.

Then, off to Metro in Chernivitsi, where Igor and I shopped for another 150 bags of food and, as we finished, we were joined by five people from earlier who helped us pack. Probably the most organised packing session we've had, with 150 bags comprising 2,100 items packed in 30 minutes!

From Chernivitsi, we then started the long drive to Khmel'nyts'kyj where were staying the night before travelling to our first of two destinations tomorrow. Sadly, the pleasure of breakfast was short lived as we're out at 6.00am.

Day 3 - van issues, happy faces and packing bags in an air raid.

Day 3 was a day of highs and lows but still a very satisfying one. Left our hotel in Khmelʼnytsʼkyy at 6.30am. Soon after leaving, the battery light came on in the van and we hoped it was nothing serious. Turned out that it was. First the ABS light came in, then the traction control and finally, the electric powered steering gave up and, when we stopped at our destination but needed to move a few yards, the van wouldn't start again.

The people we were meant to meet came down the road to us and took all the food we had for them in another van. Someone else offered to take the van and sort it for us. In true Ukrainian style, they rallied together and, whilst Igor and I were giving out food, someone had arrived to sort the van and taken it to a garage nearby. When we had finished, another local took us by car to the garage where the alternator was already out and being repaired. An hour later, at an unbelievably low cost, we were back on the road.

From there, we headed to Vulytsya Mykhaylivs'ka to meet a commander in the Ukrainian army who was receiving some items from us for Vlad, one of the guys we know well who has often helped us pack but has recently been conscripted.

From there, we headed to Kyiv and straight to another Metro. We shopped to get enough for 170 bags of food and, as we had finished, we were joined by some helpers who have been invaluable in the past. One of them is Igor's niece and she bought a friend with her named Yaroslava who was just 17. Two weeks ago, she lost her father in the war. Incredibly sad.

In the normal way, we lined everything up in the car park and, a few minutes in, the air raid sirens started. It didn't deter us but was probably a fine motivator to get finished quickly!

Now in a hotel and off for a kip. Turn the volume up when you play the videos.

Day 4 - a very long day, some feisty Babushkas and I nuked Moscow!

Another early start. Out at 6.30am for a fairly long drive to Pervomais'k in Mykolaiv Oblast. It was snowing steadily as we left but, as we headed further south, that soon cleared . Five hours later, we arrive and meet with Elena who has lived in the town for some time. She kindly arranged for a group of people to be waiting for us. At midday, we moved the van into a central point and, as soon as the doors were opened, they swarmed forward. It's obvious these poor people had been struggling for some time and each was determined to leave with a bag of food. Even though we had more than enough and tried explaining that to them, they were having none of it so I chose the best option and stood taking photos!

10 minutes or so later, everyone had food and Igor and Elena still had all their limbs!

The next bit was a surprise for me. Elena works as a guide at the nearby Strategic Missile Forces Museum of Ukraine and Igor had arranged for her to give me a personal tour. An incredible place and, after the initial exhibits at ground level, I was taken 40 metres below ground to the original control room and the sleeping quarters for the commanders who had the launch capability.

The control room still works in terms of displays and noises and, after being shown to a commanders chair. I'm asked to input the launch codes and, at the same time as Elena, press the launch button! Very impressive and spine tingling too, especially when you see a video screen of 10 missile silos opening and ten missile launches. So, in my dreams, ten SS-22 nuclear missiles were on their way to Moscow!

With the fun over, we said goodbye to Elena and headed back to Kyiv. As darkness fell, the snow starting falling again and we arrived in Kyiv around 7.30pm. Then, off to Metro again for more shopping and to meet a guy who has kindly supplied three generators at cost price because of what we're doing. With the day finished and another 100 bags packed, I was back in the hotel at 10.30pm.

Another incredible day, in an incredible country, with incredible people. Thank you if you helped in any way.

Day 5 - snow, laughs, a tree that came from nowhere and and I sit at a table with a hero of Ukraine.

Another day that started out well, quickly turned to awesome, then to unforgetable. One of my best days here and one I'll remember forever.

Out of the hotel at 6.30am and it's snowing very lightly as we head to Cherkasy. Once we're there, we go to a store where Igor has reserved an EcoFlow power bank for a family who need emergency power but live on the third floor of an apartment block and cannot have a petrol generator.

Once this is paid for, I feel part of a very important task is complete. We had a very generous donation of £1,540 from North Wales and North West England Passport Club, an amazing Rotary club that is based online, with some great members and they have supported me for a good length of time now. The donation, in connection with the Rotary Foundation, was to buy two generators as the price, when we first bought a generator was around £700. Now, with the supply of generators being far better, we had hoped to get three but with the help of Igor and his contacts, we managed to get each generator for £340. The left us well in excess of £500 to spend and this covered the EcoFlow too. The only remaining bit was to get them to the people who need them and once, we had put the Rotary Club stickers on the boxes, we set off.

Next stop was to give out food to the people in a large Soviet style apartment complex. A lovely group of people were waiting for us in the including youngsters. We handed out food, handed over the EcoFlow, took the customary photos and recorded a video message from a lady who wanted to thank everyone who has donated.

Next stop was Dumantsi, around 16 miles away but it took us an hour to get there due the the dreadful roads. We ended up slightly lost too and, when turning round, slid on the icy verge and hit a tree. Due to the damage, we couldn't open the rear doors!

We met with the group waiting for us in snow that was getting heavier. Again, a great group of people who were very grateful for what we bought to them. One family, Eugene, Alina and their childrent, were the first to receive a generator and Alina recorded a short video to say thank you to the Rotary club.

We leave, with still steady snowfall, and drive to Smila, another small village where two older people are desperate for a generator. They often lose power and this will be a lifesaver. Sadly no thank you video as they don't speak much English but they were overwhelmed.

From there, a long drive to see someone special named Oleg. Oleg is a soldier. Not just any old soldier but one who has fought in four wars. When he was just 18, he fought in Afghanistan as part of the Soviet Union, he fought in Moldova and, when the Soviet Union ended and Ukraine became independent, he fought against Russia following the annexation of Crimea and now fights against them since their invasion in 2022. His passion is his military museum that he built up over many years only for it to burn down last year. He's slowly rebuilding it and wanted to show us some of his prized exhibits some of which date back hundreds of years.

He then insisted that we stay for some food and some of his prize winning rum. Red Borscht arrived with bread, garlic cloves, sour cream and pork fat and it was delicious. Next, time for a toast and he filled shot glasses with rum. What was meant to be a flying visit and an early night in Kyiv turned into an endless session of toasts starting with the traditional 'Budmo' and moving on through 'For Friends and the Ukrainian Army' and 'For those who are absent' when you down all of your drink and pour the last few drops on the floor. We heard about Oleg's last injury in December when his vehicle was hit by a rocket and he was discovered in a water filled trench some seven hours later. Badly injured, he is now recovering and may return to the front line. A huge man, in build and personality. Even when Igor wasn't translating, we managed to understand each other and I genuinely haven't met a man like this.

Four hours, and a dozen or so shots of rum later, we leave. In the normal way, they want us to have gifts and we leave food for them to take to the nearby village.

A quite incredible day. Back to the hotel for 10.30 and sleep!

Day 6 - a lie in, more driving, loads of dogs, a happy man, lunch with friends and a sad sight.

Had the luxury of a lie in today and left at 9.00am. A two hour drive to Orane with the normal stop for coffee and breakfast on the way. Met some beautiful dogs and if I could get them all somewhere safe, I would. However, the Ukrainian people seem to be big animal lovers and the dogs we see seem pretty healthy.

First stop in Orane was to deliver the final generator to a lovely gentleman who was so grateful. We know from some other people that they often lose power and this will be invaluable. If's the final one of three provided by the North Wales and North West England Passport Rotary Club in connection with the Rotary foundation. Igor spoke with the gentleman's wife just before we arrived as she was a distance away working and she was so excited and happy to know this was coming.

Interestingly, whilst we were outside the man's house, we get talking to two policeman who are going from door-to-door. They turned out to have the unpleasant task of investigating war crimes. The Russians came to Orane in 2022, looted houses, killed people and, according to these investigators, deported over 1,000 from the surrounding area and moved them to Russia. Imagine, you're taken out of the home you know so well, shoved on a bus and taken to another country to be told that this is your new life. It's hard to believe this happens in a modern civilised world.

Then on to see Sergio and Laurie, two friends of Igor that I have met twice before. Lovely people who always make us very welcome and today was no exception. A superb lunch, all home cooked and all delicious.

From there, back to Kyiv and, as we travel through a town called Dymer, we see the sad sight of another memorial to the fallen men from the town. So many fathers, sons, husbands and brothers lost needlessly.

Then, off to Metro again for the final shop when another 40 bags were packed and loaded on to the van for delivery tomorrow.

It's now wind down time. The money is spent and it's been amazing that we have done so much in what feels like a short time.

Day 7 - another lie in, more happy faces, a traditional market, a sad final task and a Ukrainian animal lover

Day seven - another lie in and we leave at 9.30am. We head to meet Dima, an Army chaplain and take 30 bags of food to him. All of these will go to children in care or at risk. Very sad but even in these dreadful times for Ukraine, there are children who have suffered at the hands of abusive parents. Hopefully, these will be put to good use.

From there, off to drop some packages off to some special families.First, Alina, who lives with two children and a beautiful dog in an apartment in the outskirts of Kyiv city. A lovely lady and we have tried to support her from the time we first came to Kyiv.

Next was Tatiana, her husband Dima and their two children. Like has been particularly tough on them as Dina has acute kidney failure and needs to have dialysis three times a week. A beautiful family who have so much to deal with.

From there, we took a few minutes to explore the nearby traditional market. Full of colours, fragrances and noise. A great experience.

After that, we dropped the van off, swapped to Igor's car and did the bit that I'm proud but sad to do. On the last three visits, we have placed pictures of fallen soldiers in the square in Kyiv. We had one more today. Callum Tindal-Draper. A brave British soldier who gave his life for Ukraine. Igor and I hope that this will give his family some comfort.

Then, I have an afternoon to do what I want. I take a wonder down Kreschtatyk Street. The sea of flags for fallen soldiers is now huge beyond belief. The ironic thing is that there are high class shops such as Gucci just a few yards away and people are more concerned with getting the right selfie than they are with the plight of fallen soldiers. That's life I guess.

From there, I'm on the metro from Kreschtatyk Street to Darnytsia to meet a lady called Irisha who volunteers at an animal shelter and does some quite incredible work. I promised to try and help her in the future.

From there, back to Livoberezhna, a bite to eat with another long standing friend and then back to a hotel.

Day 8 - just a long drive

For my last day in Ukraine, we're up and out at 6.00am. Then it's a 650km drive to the border town of Sheyni. Uneventful but a great time to decompress and reflect on what we have managed to achieve. Around 2.30pm, we arrive there and I have the customary selfie with Igor. Then, walk across the border, gate a taxi and then a train to Krakow and stay the night before my flight home.

Whilst I'm there, I receive a photo from Igor with somehting quite heart warming. The people that we donated the first generator to had decided that another family nearby needed the generator more than they did and gave it to them. Another example of the Ukranian selfless spirit.

A quite incredible trip with new experiences, new people and new but very sad sights.

Thank you if you have donated. This has been by far the most successful trip to date, with nearly 800 bags of food and three expensive power banks delivered. None of this is possible without the support that I have had and I'm eternally grateful. So are the people we have helped.

In the ten trips, here’s some interesting statistics:

We’ve travelled 39,214 miles (18,064 miles flying, 18,832 driving and 2,318 miles by train)

We’ve purchased around £102,000 of food

We’ve packed and delivered 5,470 bags of food plus seven generators plus 4 EcoFlow power banks.

We’ve bought and delivered around 33 tonnes of food

We’re very proud of this and couldn’t do it without your donations.

Now I start fund raising for my eleventh trip on the 28th of May and we aim to reach £116,000, giving us £9,000 to spend.