The driving force behind a community ambulance service are preparing to drive to the Polish border next month to deliver vital aid for Ukrainian refugees.
John Gilmour and Sam Lane, who run Tameside’s Lifeline Ambulance, plan to head straight to the frontline to help.
Their 36-hour journey will begin in Ashton and see them taking toiletries, blankets, first aid supplies and other essential items.
The duo will set off on April 25 in the community ambulance, supplying their donations to charity organisations at the border.
The journey is the pair’s first work outside of the UK, and they were motivated by the events in the news.
“We’d seen what’s going on out there, and it just spurred us on,” Sam said.
“There’s a lot of people who’ve been displaced. They’ve got nothing,” John added.
But with such a journey ahead, the pair are feeling their share of anxiety.
“There are nerves, there are apprehensions,.” Sam said.
“But the fact we’re doing what we’re doing, and who we’re doing it for, spurs us on.”
Both John and Sam met with Ashton’s Ukrainian centre to plan the journey and find out what exactly was needed.
They are still welcoming donations from the community before their departure.
Their website reads: “We at Lifeline Ambulance are collecting essential supplies to deliver to those Ukrainian families in neighbouring countries fleeing the conflicts. We are aiming to drive our lifeline ambulance to Poland to deliver all supplies collected.”
John, the founder of the Lifeline Ambulance, bought the vehicle himself in 2020 to help out in the initial response to Covid-19, and to help people get to hospital appointments.
He said: “It’s been funded through donations by people who use the service.
“Ideally we want to try and do that for free but we’ve got to pay for insurance and the upkeep of the vehicle.”
The Community Interest Company has since expanded to purchase a second vehicle and have partnered with MAK Security who have agreed to pay for fuel costs.
The pair plan to share their progress on social media through livestreams and live blogs.
“People will see the items they’ve given us being handed over,” John explained.
You can find the charity on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LifeLineAUK
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