I have volunteered to drive an ambulance with medical equipment to Ukraine in mid-May. For several years now, the charity Medical Life Lines Ukraine has been taking essential medical supplies and equipment, including ambulances, to Ukraine. Can you help to buy the ambulance and to equip it with essential medical supplies?

I'll be driving around 2000 kilometres in a convoy from London to Ukraine over four days. We'll hand over the vehicles and supplies to local teams, who will distribute them to areas most in need. The aim is for the hundredth MLLU aid-filled ambulance to be in our convoy (97 delivered so far)!

This charity's work has saved countless lives and - perhaps more importantly - has shown the people of Ukraine that people in the outside world are acutely aware of their plight and keen to help them however they can.

This winter has been harsh and challenging for the people of Ukraine. Russia has intentionally focussed its attacks on its power generation infrastructure, hospitals and medical facilities, all of which are crucial for Ukraine's citizens. The charity's convoys make a huge difference for Ukraine.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

It costs about £20k to buy, recondition and deliver an ambulance to Ukraine and this money is raised by volunteer fundraiser-drivers - I've just become one of these. I'm aiming to raise at least £7k and would be honoured if you could help towards this amount.

MORE INFORMATION

Below is more information about this charity's work, including a link to a CBS news item about a previous convoy in 2023.

"Medical Life Lines Ukraine has delivered 97 aid-filled ambulances, 25 generators and one all-terrain rescue crane to war-torn areas of Ukraine since the full-blown invasion of 24 February 2022. Russia continues to target civilian infrastructure including homes, power generation and hospitals. The demand for humanitarian aid, civil defence support and medical supplies is unrelenting. We focus on three key areas:

AMBULANCES FOR HOSPITALS

Hospitals near the front line have lost many ambulances to enemy action. We work with key partners to provide high quality vehicles to get civilians access to the urgent medical care that they so desperately need.

CIVIL DEFENCE

Ukrainian rescuers have to reach civilians trapped under collapsed buildings and need cranes and other equipment to do so. We find out what is needed, buy it and deliver it to where it needs to be.

AID DELIVERY

Our vehicles arrive in Ukraine filled with medical and other aid including dressings and medical tools, defibrillators, generators, clothes, blankets. Even toys for displaced children and food for rescue dogs.

With partners including Ukraine's Ministry of Health and State Emergency Service we identify hospitals, emergency teams, NGOs and others to which our vehicles, equipment and aid will make a real difference. We source, check and buy the right vehicles, equipment and aid, then recondition and deliver them to precisely where they are needed most.

We need your help to support our fundraising."