Diary of a Ukraine Convoy - latest!

More news from the 'eastern front' in our daily diary....

On 10 April, our Rotarian Jonathan Bickerdike will set off for Lviv in Ukraine to deliver a 4x4 loaded with various donations including a generator, medical equipment, crutches and clothes. The vehicle and most of the equipment will then be sent on to the front line. Sadly the vehicles only last an average of 3 months.

With the help from sponsors, so far he has raised £4,700 which will buy 5 generators which are much needed given the difficulty with power supply at the moment.

This page will provide a blog of the journey recording each day as it happens.

You can still donate to this cause by visiting Generators for Ukraine - JustGiving

Day 1

240 of 1200 miles

A 7.30am start when I met my co driver and we set off for Dover. Will be meeting the other 5 vehicles.

A straightforward drive down to Dover, hop on the ferry then over to Antwerp where we are stopping for the night. Quick meal (ribs) and back to get ready for a 5.30 start in the morning. We were hosted by a senior forensic scientist from the local police station.

Day 2

430 miles

Early start but made good progress towards Berlin. Beautiful sunny day and arrived early after 9 hours on the road, enough to have a couple of hours strolling around Potsdam where the famous conference took place after the war. Off to an early evening meal as another long days driving tomorrow.

Day 3

500 Miles

07.00 start to drive 500 miles near to the Ukraine border. Alastair, the group leader has been checking all the paperwork ready to get over the border tomorrow morning. Apparently some days it can take 9 hours. Poland is noticeably more Eastern European, the food, the houses and the petrol prices! More stops at service stations with a selection of culinarily cuisine’s, offal soup being the least favourite. Below is a typical breakfast stop.

Day 4

100 Miles

7am start as we had a 9.00 slot at border control. It still took an hour and a half to get through but then onto Lviv where we unloaded the equipment we brought. This will go to hospitals, orphanages schools and anywhere else its needed. Arrived at the hotel which has its own generator because they have so many power cuts and was shown the air raid shelter. Will add photos later as am just about to be shown around by some locals. Met with local Rotary club members later that evening.

Day 5

Day in Lviv

Time to look around this beautiful City, meet other Rotarians and learn more about how they are living with the war. It included a very moving visit to the ‘Field of Mars’ where hundreds and hundreds of fallen Lviv citizens are laid to rest. So many that the cemetery is now full.

Day 7

Return home

Caritas (the charity who helps get the aid to those in need) gave us a lift to the border which was busier than usual as people were returning from the end of the Orthodox Easter holiday. It would probably have taken locals over 3 hours to get through. We then took a train to Krakow and had time for a bit to eat before flying back to Gatwick.