I have found a wonderful charity that has inspired my next swimming adventure. A dynamic group of enterprising souls, based in Wimbledon and Putney, are buying, refurbishing and kitting out second-hand ambulances then driving them out to Ukraine where they are badly needed. They have so far made well over 10 trips and delivered 64 ambulances and there is demand for many more!

Five of us, my French swimming buddies and I, are taking on a new challenge to raise funds for MLLU. We will swim around the island of Porquerolles off the coast of Toulon in France. The swim will be over a day (29th June) and up to 30 kms in distance, depending on the number of offshore rocks and islets to navigate. We will be in relay so 6 kms of sea swimming each. We are praying for low winds and good weather to ensure sea conditions are not too punishing. We are all experienced swimmers but not so young - a banker, retired travel executive and a ship captain!

Medical Life Lines Ukraine is a volunteer-led group based in Wimbledon and Putney that has since Russia's full-blown invasion delivered 64 aid-filled ambulances, 21 generators and an all-terrain rescue crane to Ukraine ... so far! The ambulances are all second-hand and bought from private fleet operators, auction houses and dealers around the UK. Each is hand-picked following thorough checks by a specialist mechanic before a painstaking service is undertaken and all necessary repairs are completed. Essential equipment is reinstalled (stretcher (c. £1000), suction machine (c. £200) and defibrillator (c. £500)) and then aid is loaded. The aid can include tourniquets and bandages (in desperately short supply) as well as donated catheters and other medical disposables alongside wheelchairs, crutches, surgical equipment and more. About £20k of medical aid is purchased for each convoy with a far greater value than this donated.

Volunteer drivers fundraise and then drive in convoy to the Polish border with Ukraine, some crossing to complete the formal handover in Lviv to the medics and rescuers who will operate these vehicles. Many have travelled in difficult conditions from front line areas in order to collect the vehicles which are then deployed saving lives within days of handover. On average it costs some £15k to buy, recondition, re-equip and deliver each ambulance from London to Lviv.

Works in partnership with charities in the UK, US, Australia, France and elsewhere to ensure that donations can be made in the most tax-efficient way possible. Our UK partnership charity is British-Ukrainian Aid.