Mid Argyll hospital aid welcomed in Ukraine
A lorry-load of hospital kit is the latest cargo of vital aid sent to Ukraine with love from well-wishers in Mid Argyll.
A 44ft artic truck carrying 17 hospital beds along with bedside cabinets, bath lifts, walking frames, storage units and boxes of PPE including pinnies and sanitisers has arrived safely in Vinnytsia, west central Ukraine, for use at a military hospital treating soldiers and civilians.
The much-needed donations were originally bound for West Africa as part of the Inveraray-based First Aid 4 Gambia charity but shipping complications meant the second-hand stock was stuck in storage on Mid Argyll Hospital’s former Knapdale Ward.
‘George Carruthers from the Gambian charity got in touch to see if we could use them; he didn’t want it to go to waste and just languish in storage.
‘It was a no-brainer for us so we said yes straight away,’ said Nikki Thompson who – along with founder Amanda Duffy-Brown – co-ordinates the Mid Argyll Helps Ukraine appeal that has already packed off around 7,000 boxes of vital humanitarian aid and sent out roughly 500 items such as cots, baby cradles, prams and car seats.
‘Although the hospital equipment was condemned for use here in the UK, it was all perfectly serviceable.
‘It had come from all over but was just being kept on the Knapdale Ward.
‘We didn’t realise the huge scale of what we were being offered at first and it was quite difficult to arrange but we got it sorted.
‘It got an emotional send-off. We have sent so many lorries and vans off to Ukraine and each time there is a sigh of relief to see it roll off down the street but this one was massive,’ said Nikki.
News of needing a lorry to transport the hospital load reached holiday home owner Jonny Craik, who got his employers Saferoad VRS Ltd in Scunthorpe to sponsor it.
More help came from Lochgilphead-based MacLeod Construction, which donated the use of a forklift truck and manpower to load it up; Balfour Beatty also sent help and the town’s Square Peg sandwich bar gave them lunch on the day.
When the lorry reached its final destination at Scotland Ukraine charity’s warehouse, it was met by a welcoming group that included People’s Deputy of Ukraine and Vinnytsia MP Iryna Borzova, and also the co-founder of Scotland Ukraine, Andrii Kharlanov.
Mid Argyll Helps Ukraine works closely with the Ukraine government and Scotland Ukraine, sending aid where it is needed.
As well as hospital items, the lorry also carried other aid including boxes specifically labelled for individual groups that the appeal from Mid Argyll supports directly; these donations are picked up separately from the warehouse.
Set up in March this year after an appeal for volunteers on Facebook, Mid Argyll Helps Ukraine is based at Lochgilphead’s former post office The Mail Box, in Argyll Street, a premises it can use free of charge thanks to its owner MacLeod Construction.
Volunteers are now getting ready to fill their 14th lorry for Ukraine.
It can cost between £4,000 and £7,000 each for a van or a lorry. Sometimes the appeal can share the cargo space and costs with another aid group but other times it has to bear the bill itself which is why fundraising and cash donations are also vital, says Nikki.
‘People’s generosity is expanding. We couldn’t do this without them – individuals, businesses, schools, organisations – the help is unbelievable, not just from here but as far down as Campbeltown and other outlying areas.
‘Ukraine is struggling for aid, it needs our help more now than ever,’ she added.
To keep in touch with Mid Argyll Helps Ukraine and find out how you can give support, go to its Facebook page for regular updates.