In 2018, I had the pleasure of travelling to Ukraine with two great friends on a fund raising charity trip for our local First Responders. I only spent three days in Kyiv but found the people to be decent, friendly, warm and welcoming. For that reason, I decided to do something to help them.

Our first trip!

We visited Ukraine in April 2022, with a suitcase of childrens clothes and sweets and plus a debit card with nearly £7,000 to spend on food and essentials. We flew to Krakow and met with Igor, a Ukrainian refugee who moved to Poland after Russia invaded.

Our first trip was to a supermarket, where we filled the bus with supplies – twelve full shopping trollies in total!

We headed to Jaroslaw in Poland for the night and the next day, after a surprisingly short three hours, we crossed into Ukraine and headed for Lviv for the first of our food drops to refugees living in apartments.

From Lviv, we went East to Ternopil and met with the leaders of a church which feeds 200 people a day. After learning what they needed, we went to a missionary refuge where we unloaded all of our supplies and were given food and a bed for the night.

The next day, we went to a huge cash and carry and filled the minibus again, this time to take to the church. We filled their stockroom with enough food to feed 200 people for around two weeks.

That afternoon, we visited two local schools which have been turned into refugee centres, with ten or twelve people living on mattresses on the floor of classrooms. Many had been injured, most had lost everything and all were in tears to see that we had travelled to bring something.

After this, more shopping for the missionary refuge and then we returned to Lviv. An interesting evening with air raid sirens but luckily, no actual raid!

On the Sunday, we bought more supplies and crossed back into Poland. We headed to Krakow where we said goodbye to Igor who then drove the supplies to Warsaw to distribute to fellow Ukrainians living near him.

An amazing trip, full of emotion and great satisfaction. To see the look on the face of a person who has next to nothing when you give them enough food for a week is something quite valuable. To know you helped is priceless and we created some memories in those few days that we will never forget.

Our second trip!

We had a successful second trip to Ukraine in June 2022, visiting Rivne, Kyiv, Velyka Dymerka, Irpin and Bucha.

A far more disturbing trip than the first. On our first trip, we met many people living in uncomfortable but safe surroundings. This time, we visited people living in what remained of their shattered homes. Some still had remnants of Russian missiles in their gardens and all had experienced the worst of humanity.

The devastation we experienced in Irpin and Bucha was worse than anything you have seen on the news. Home after home destroyed but people were still trying to live there despite no water and no electricity.

One of the saddest moments was meeting Anastacia and her mother. Anastacia is disabled and she and her parents had fled their home in the East when the Russians invaded. They were living in an unused school in Rivne along with more than 100 other refugees. We gave them plenty of food and promised we would find medicine in Kyiv and post it back for Anastacia.

This was an eye opening experience and, at times, a quite upsetting one. Nevertheless, it made us more determined than even to continue doing whatever we can.

Our third trip

AUgust 2022, we flew to Poland and again, met with Igor. He had already been shopping and had dozens of bags of food to distribute. We drove into Ukraine with two Ukrainian women and their children who were desperate to return home and dropped one off with her family in Korostyshiv. The young boy hadn't seen his grandfather since the war started and they hugged for the whole time we were there.

From there, the long drive to Kyiv, taking the other lady and her son safely home.

Our first full day in Kyiv meant an early vist to the cash and carry and this was the pattern for the next three days, buying food , packing identical bags, loading them into our minibus and driving to destroyed towns and villages to deliver it. We visited Chernihiv, Bohdanivka, Borodyanka, Vyleka Dymerka and others. All had people living in shattered homes, often without water or electricity.

An additional and very moving part of our trip was to take the ashes of a young British soldier, Jordan Gatley who died in June whilst fighting with the International Legion. He was posthumously awarded Ukraines highest military honour and I was proud to collect this on his parents behalf.

Our fourth trip!

Our fourth trip was easily the most successful, most rewarding and most unnerving. We flew from Birmingham airport to Warsaw. From there, we drove through heavy snow to the border at Medyka where we parked and walked across to meet Igor. We then started the 400 mile journey to Kyiv, over very poor roads and in heavy snow but couldn't make it all the way and stayed in a hotel near Korostyshiv. Next morning, we hit Kyiv and met with our contacts in the Ukraine army who had arranged for us to take food into an area close to the front line.

We had an extra van, filling it with around £3,800 of food plus a generator for a village that had no electricity since the start of thr war. We went to Odessa and then Mykolaiv for the night. Next morning, we travelled to a church where members of the army were waiting to help us pack 200 separate bags of food. Once loaded, we headed for Oleksandrivka where villagers were waiting for us. Every person here had either lost their home or had it damaged. There was no electricity and the village hall was the hub for everything, with a wood burning stove, makeshift power and an internet connection. We gave food to everyone.

From there we went to Stanislav and handed out more food and it was here that we heard artillery in the distance for the first time. Quite disturbing!

Then, on to Kherson, a city recently liberated by the Ukrainians but still under daily shelling. The devastation there was as bad as anything we had seen in any of our trips and it's hard to imagine what these people have endured. We gave out the rest of our food and headed back to Mykolaiv. We learned later that Kherson was again shelled and people injured.

On Wednesday, we left Mykolaiv to return to Kyiv and visisted a team of soldiers who are responsbile for tracking and shooting down drones and missiles. We then finished Wednesday with more shopping and bagged it ready for delivery on Thursday morning.

On Thursday, after delivering to a nearby village, we went shopping again, this time buying a massive quantity of food to take to the army church in Kyiv where they could then take it further to the front line in Bakhmut. Once unloaded, we returned to the cash and carry for another shop. We bagged this up in sub zero temperatures and, due to failing light, decided to deliver it the next morning.

Friday, our last day in Kyiv, we were woken at 4.00am by air raid sirens. Even though we've heard them many times before, they still send a shiver down your spine. We set off to travel to Chernihiv and met with Valeria who had arranged for a large crowd of people to gather and we handed out all of our food.

As we left Chernihiv to head to Kyiv, most of Ukraine was under air raid alert. It seems that Russia had launched a mass missile attack at Kyiv as well as Kherson where we had been previously and Lviv where we were headed next! However, a safe but long journey took us to Lviv at 10pm that evening. The next morning, we did the last two hours back to Medyka, walked through both border checkpoints and collected our car.

Our fifth trip

All of our aid trips are in memory and honour of Jordan Gatley, an English soldier who died in Ukraine. Jordan’s mum and dad, Sally and Dean, have become great supporters of our aid efforts and Dean joined us for this trip.

We flew to Warsaw and again drove to the border, met with Igor and headed for Kyiv. Although the weather was good, traffic and accidents meant we couldn’t reach Kyiv before the midnight curfew. We stayed in a familiar hotel and made the rest of the journey the next day.

Our first visit was to deliver some goods to Tania & Dima Malinovski who had left Ukraine once the war started. Dima had suffered kidney failure in the past and now needs dialysis every two days. Only in the last two weeks, had he received the assurance that this could be done in Ukraine and he and Tania returned.

From there, we went shopping, filled well over a hundred bags with food and then met with another Dima, our Army friend. He had arranged for us to take food to remote villages north of Kharkiv.

Next morning, we drove to a town called Derhachi to meet with Svetlana from the local government office. For the first time, we were told we needed a permit from the military to enter a conflict zone.

Svetlana led the way, saying we must follow her path exactly due to mines. We headed North East to two villages, the first of which was Mali Prokhody and it was here that we realised just how close we were to the Russian border. The artillery fire sounded much closer than we heard on the last trip and, when we checked the map, Russia was less than 10km (6 miles) away! Mali Prokhody was occupied on the second day of the Russian invasion and lost their electricity then. They still had no electricity when we visited.

At Velyki Prokhody, most buildings were destroyed, including a medical centre that was brand new and due to open five days later. The Russians used the local school as their base and it was tragic to see all of the childrens things but with most of them destroyed and defaced. The school theatre was still full of Russian equipment and the sports hall had been used to hide Russian tanks. In September, when the Ukrainians liberated the village, many of the Russian soldiers were killed and on a blackboard, written by a Russian soldier, was the message that translates into “Forgive Us”.

With our food given out, we returned to Kyiv and, as Dean was with us, we were asked to join members of the International Legion of Ukraine for dinner. These were Jordan Gatley’s comrades and the time spent with them will stay in my mind. We were also presented with a medal from the International Legion representatives.

The next day, Dean stayed with Jordan’s former commander and Dave, Igor and I went shopping, spending a few thousand pounds on food and took it to the Army church for them to bag it and distribute it closer to the frontline. Once unloaded, we returned for more shopping, this time bagging it up in the normal way.

It was late by the time we finished and we called it a day. The next day, we returned to a village we visited last year, Velyka Dymerka. Some things had changed here, with some people managing to start rebuilding their homes but others were not so lucky.

By now, the money was spent and we decided to start the long journey back to the Polish border, breaking it overnight at Pantaliya, near Rivne. The next day, we finished up at Medyka around lunchtime, had the customary farewell photo with Igor and crossed the border back to the car before driving to Warsaw.

Our sixth trip

OUR SIXTH TRIP WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT!

This time, we took a car to donate to the Ukrainian Army. We set off late on Thursday 24th August and made it to Lviv in Ukraine for Saturday night, finishing in Kyiv at 3.30pm on Sunday 27th with a total of around 1,750 miles. We met with Igor and went shopping, then packed over 100 bags of food to deliver the next day. We then took the car to the Army Church, handed it over and got to bed.

Next day, off to Chernihiv. Just outside the city, a party of around 100 people were waiting for us. We handed out 100 bags of food and gave two children some knitted gifts from the amazing Nutty Knitters group in Nantwich. With that done, we headed back to Kyiv to buy more food and packed another 100 bags for the next day when we visit a place we haven't seen before.

Another long day Tuesday. Drove back to Chernihiv to pick up Anton, a new guide and then north for a further three hours to Orlivka, a village close to both the Belarus and the Russian borders. At the village church, people were waiting and we handed out food. The drive back was the same five hours and no time to shop for the next day.

Wednesday morning, around 5.00am, Kyiv came under attack again, with a missile hitting a supermarket around 2.5 miles from our hotel. Out for early shopping before heading off to a village called Dymer, stopping on the way at Sirius Dog Rescue to give them dog food. A warm welcome from everyone at Dymer and again, all of our food was given out.

No drama on the Wednesday night and, after an early food shop and delivery, we took the eight hour drive from Kyiv to the Polish border. We walked across the border and the next day, took a six hour train trip to Warsaw, ending up there at 4.30pm before flying home the next day.

Our seventh trip

Again a different trip. This time, on my own, with a flight from Birmingham to Krakow, a train from Krakow to Przemsyl and a taxi for the final bit to Medyka. Crossed the border, met with Igor and headed to Lviv where we met with Taras to hand equipment over to him. After that, the long drive to Kyiv, arriving at a hotel with just ten minutes to spare before the midnight curfew!

We had agreed to visit Kharkiv and Dnipro so the first morning was spent shopping with our biggest load ever - enough food to fill 220 identical bags. All the food was packed in the cold car park and we then delivered 20 of the bags to local people and grabbed an early night ready for the long day the next day.

Next day, up and out at 6.30am for the 500km drive to Kharkiv with terrible roads, sometimes travelling at 20mph or less due to the potholes. At Kharkiv, we met with Konstantin who had arranged for a large group of people to be there. As we arrived, air raid sirens were sounding and we were given coffee before meeting the 200 people. All 200 bags were given out and we headed off to Dnipro where we immediately went shopping, this time packing 230 bags in the dark and the snow at 11.30pm! Finally a hotel and a good sleep.

Next morning, we drove to Synel'nykove, meeting with a lady called Alla. Alla heads up a church in Synel'nykove and proudly showed us the building they are preparing as a new community centre before taking us to their existing place where she had arranged for a hundred people or so to meet with us. We handed out food, shared hugs and had tears with many of the people and then drove back to Dnipro with Alla to the cultural centre where Alla has another church congregation and a childrens club. We distributed the rest of our food and, as we finished, the children presented us with drawings and with hand made bracelets.

Then a sad goodbye to Alla, with us promising we will return. After a seven hour drive back to Kyiv, I arrived in my hotel and had the first beer of the trip. One minute later, the air raid warning sounded but the beer was too good to leave!

Next day, we had the pleasure of a later start, with me being persuaded to walk on the frozen Dnipro River in Kyiv whilst many locals were making holes in the ice to catch fish! Then, off to the cash and carry for more shopping, spending the last of our food money on food to take to the army church. Due to a change of plan, we couldn't meet the church members that afternoon so it left me free to take the Kyiv Metro to the centre of Kyiv via Arsenalna, the deepst underground station in Europe. A 20 minute journey, costing just 17 pence!

The afternoon in Kyiv was wonderful, with the city being as vibrant, colourful and picturesque as ever. The sad part being that the sea of flags in the main square that marks the fallen solders has grown beyond recognition.

Next morning, off to distribute some food to local people before delivering the food from the day before to the army church. We then went with our friend Dima to a local equipment warehouse where we had a special purchase to make. The local Soroptomists in Nantwich had kindly raised enough money to buy another generator and, after choosing this, we delivered it to Grisha in the village of Hlevakha.

We returned to Kyiv to change vehicles and, on the way,, drove through a residential area that had been under missile or drone attack earlier in the month. Many damaged buildings and several destroyed cars. From there, we headed to Lviv and found a hotel for the night.

Next day, just a two hour trip to the border and, on the way, we stopped in Mostyska where we met a Canadian man who had been in Ukraine for just one day after joining the International Legion. He was getting his army ID sorted and happily posed for a photo. I hope he stays safe. From here, we drove to the border at Medyka and, after the normal sad goodbye to Igor, I took a taxi to Przemsyl and a train to Krakow.

The eighth trip

Again, on my own for this trip. Took a train from Stafford to Birmingham airport, then flew to Krakow. Next day, a train to Przemsyl and a new train all the way to Kyiv. Arrived in Kyiv at 9.15pm and immediately went to a cash and carry where Igor's friends had already started shopping. By the time we had finished, it was dark but we managed to pack 200 bags and load them into the van for the next day. Then off to a hotel for a much needed sleep.

Next day, out at 5.30am for the 7 hour drive to Dnipro. We arrived in Synel'nykove to meet with Alla and Pasha. We gave out food to some lovely people and then headed back to Dnipro where we met children and were given gifts again. Outside, we handed out the remainder of the food and, after saying goodbye to Alla, went with Pasha to a building that suffered a direct hit from a missile earlier in the year and were shown the cuddly toy memorial that had been created. Very sad to see. Lastly, more shopping!

Friday, under constatnt air raid sirens, we headed to Kharkiv, where we again met with Konstantin who had organised for a large crowd of people to meet us. All received food and we also met a lady called Anna who needed some additional equipment and supplies such as cooking pans and utensils. We provided what we could and said we would provide more next time. After this, six hours back to Kyiv.

The next day had the bonus of a lie in! I was collected by Igor at 9.30am and then straight off to get fuel for van and coffee. From there, a two hour drive to Orane, with detours to bypass demolished bridges.

Once at Orane, there was a massive crowd of people and it's the first time where there was no order. The people were clearly desperate for food and after much pushing and shoving, we managed to get the van doors open and 150 bags were gone in 7 minutes! That's less than 3 seconds per bag and a record for us.

From Orane, a two hour drive back to Kyiv where we met with another Igor and two of his daughters at a Metro cash and carry. Another 150 bags packed ready for the next day and, by 8.30pm, I was back to my hotel.

What a day the next day turned out to be! Certainly the most exciting, scary and all round satisfying day I've had! Also, one of the longest!

Out at 5.30am and we started out towards Sumy where we were to meet representatives from the military and the local police. It was a relatively short trip of 330 kilometres (205 miles) but, in parts, the roads were the worst I've experienced and it was still a journey of nearly five hours.

Once at Sumy, we met with our guides and they were to take us first to a small village called Bilopillya which was around 6 miles from the Russian border and then onto another village which was even closer. It was another hours drive from Sumy and, when we arrived we met with the lady mayor of the village and she joined us as we visited certain houses to drop off bags of food.

Most of the people in the village are refugees, having been evacuated from villages even closer to the border than this one. In many houses, people were sharing with different families and just doing all they can to survive.

After visiting a few houses, we headed towards the next village and we were stopped at an Army checkpoint. They insisted we turn around and head back as the village we were heading for was being shelled! We headed back to Bilopillya and met people in the main street but were then warned that a Russian drone was often in the skies overhead and we were told not to stay in one place for long and not to gather as a large crowd. As we were handing out food, there was a very loud crack, like thunder and they came in pairs every few minutes as artillery was being fired. It's the closest I've been to it and it's really quite scary.

Our guides took the decision that we should evacuate the area as it might become too dangerous. We took a good number of bags to the local administration building for people to collect and then made one final but very sad stop. A house on the outskirts of the village was a refuge for many older people, some bed bound, some injured and all displaced from their homes, many of which have been destroyed. Really heartbreaking and the second time I've been in tears this trip. I thought I had hardened to the sad scenes but clearly not.

We left them with the last of our food bags and said goodbye to our guides who left us to make our way back to Sumy and from there, we headed back to Kyiv, arriving at the Metro cash and carry in time for the last big shopping session. With 100 bags packed and in the van, it was back to the hotel for my normal fine dining and a comfortable bed. An eighteen hour day and a memorable one!

The next day was another luxurious lie in with Igor collecting me from my hotel at 9.00am. From there, onto a quite amazing store called Epicentre which genuinely has everything under one roof. We had money set aside to buy a generator to take to a village East of Kyiv. The money for this was raised by two good people who arranged a fund raising quiz earlier in the year. The last two we have bought have been around £800 each and we expected the same. But, with a little help from the exchange rate and falling prices, we managed to get two. With them loaded onto our van, we went off to deliver the food we packed the day before.

Igor had previously met some people who were all refugees from the North and East of Ukraine and all living in an abandoned apartment block. The organiser behind this, gives them accommodation free of charge on the condition that they work two hours a day, every day, to make camouflage nets for the Army. Because Igor knew I had wanted to see this and wanted to have a go, this was a perfect place to visit.

Before food was given out, I had a crash course in weaving ribbons through 5cm holes in the netting and was then left to do it myself. After this, we went outside to meet the people who had gathered and we handed out the food. A great bunch but living in such sad and poor conditions.

From there, we headed off to the village to deliver both generators. One was going to be based at a house we have been to before. A mother and son live there and he is disabled. Until recently, his mother has cared for him but she has recently had a stroke and is now unable to even look after herself. They need a reliable electrical supply and it was great to help them. The other generator will be used to give villagers the opportunity to charge phones when the power is cut off.

Whilst in this village, I noticed a row of photos of fallen soldiers and Igor explained they were all from the village. Desperately sad to see, especially the photos of the young men. Igor took me to the village cemetery where the graves of fallen soldiers are so beautifully decorated, all with Ukrainian flags flying proudly. I paid my respects and, as we were leaving, an older lady arrived on her bicycle and went to one grave. We watched as she talked to her dead son, sobbing as she did so.

After all the highs, lows and scares of the last couple of days, my emotions were a bit battered and all I could do is cry. It was heartbreaking to see. I asked Igor to tell her I was so sorry for her loss and then we watched as she went to every other soldiers grave and placed something on it. Certainly one of my saddest moments.

From there, it was back to a Metro cash and carry to spend the last of the money on 30 bags of food for Dima, our Army Chaplain friend, to take to disadvantaged children. Some of them are in foster care and all are living in unfortunate circumstances. Dima is also the guy that supplies us with helmets and body armour and, on this trip, we have come the closest to needing it. We met with Dina, handed over the food and returned the body armour. Time for a quick photo, then on to take some food to Tanya and another Dima who we have met before. Lovely people and they make us so welcome and we were joined by Alina who we have also met before. Again, a photo and off we went.

We then drove to Independence Square in the centre of Kyiv for me to do the last task of this trip. As you know, I have come to know Jordan Gatleys parents, Sally and Dean and his brother Adam very well. The family have been fantastic in their support of our aid trips and every trip we have done since August 2022 has been in memory and honour of Jordan. Over time, I have come in contact with mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of other fallen soldiers and have offered to place a photo in the memorial square. With Igor's help, we placed five and will do this for anyone in the future.

RIP Jordan Gatley, Chris 'Pezz' Perryman, James Hands, Dominic Abelen and Kane Te Tai. All heros and all gave their life fighting for the freedom of a good country.

The next day was my last day in Ukraine for this trip. Collected by Igor, we started the eight hour drive to the border, stopping first for essential coffee and fuel.

After over 600 kilometres involving accidents, checkpoints, more fuel and even more coffee, we arrived at the border town of Shehyni. Always a sad time to say goodbye to Igor, the guy who gets me into and out of more scrapes than you can imagine. An amazing man who never seems to need sleep and runs on Red Bull and espresso coffee. A genuine guardian angel and, to some of my friends, a legend!

From there, across the Ukrainian border crossing point into Poland. From there, a taxi to Przemsyl and a train to Krakow. The next day, a flight home.

Thank you if you have donated. This has been by far the most successful trip to date, with nearly 900 bags of food and two generators delivered. None of this is possible without the support that I have had and I'm eternally grateful. So are the people we have helped.

In the eight trips, here’s some interesting statistics:

We’ve travelled 30,655 miles (14,292 miles flying, 14,988 driving and 1,375 miles by train)

We’ve purchased around £75,000 of food

We’ve packed and delivered nearly 4,000 bags of food plus four generators.

We’ve bought and delivered around 23.4 tonnes of food

We’re very proud of this and couldn’t do it without your donations.

Now we start fund raising for our ninth trip on the 17th of September and we aim to reach £87,000, giving us £9,000 to spend.