M&D’S aid mission makes it to Poland
Intrepidcoupledeliverdonationstoukrainians
A husband and wife team have arrived in Poland to deliver a lorry full of aid from M&D’S donation centre in Motherwell.
Retired pair John and Muriel Barbour worked for haulage company M8 Recovery, who donated the use of the lorry and fuel for the trip.
Their route took them from Dover to Holland, Germany and then onto Poland, and a designated aid hub in Chelm.
This is the third lorry full of aid from M&D’S and the second mercy mission from John and Muriel.
Items including medicines and baby goods were donated to Scotland’s Theme Park, where volunteers sorted and packed them.
Sue Taylor from M&D’S said: “John and Muriel have been truly amazing to make this journey not once, but twice.
“Although they have arrived safely, they have said it’s very unnerving to hear gunfire in the safety of Poland.
“But it’s a sharp reminder of what is going on just a few miles away.”
Volunteer Jill Mckenna was instrumental in obtaining the vital paperwork needed to get the lorries through border customs.
Her sister-in-law Natasha Kukharchuk arrived from Ukraine just three weeks ago with her sixyear-old daughter, Sophie, and is now living in Bothwell.
Natasha’s mum remains in Kyiv and her brother is fighting with the Ukrainian army.
Sue, a friend of Jill’s, was keen to team up and rallied together a band of volunteers to help Natasha’s fellow countrymen and women.
Sue added: “Our volunteers have also been incredible and we’re very proud of what everyone has achieved in just a matter of weeks.
“Natasha is in touch with friends and family regularly and they tell her how appreciative the Ukrainian people are for all the support coming from Scotland.”
A final fourth lorry will leave M&D’S for Poland again next week.
The theme park transformed two marquees into a donation centre and within just three hours they were filled to capacity as the community rallied round to donate first aid items, toiletries, baby goods and clothing.