CALLINGTON’S Lions Club is encouraging people to keep donating cash and aid as a local team prepares for their fifth mercy trip for Ukraine.
Members of the Lions Club joined Darren Tait and his dedicated volunteers on the most recent five-day return journey to Warsaw, taking two very full vans of much-needed items.
Emma and Andy Burnard, together with fellow Lions Jamie, Helen, and Thomas Dowdall, joined the convoy of 15 vehicles heading off on the 2,500-mile journey across six countries.
The Lions vans, as they became known, were packed to the roof with ‘Teddies to Take Away Tears’, and ‘Bags of Love’ filled with essential items for children to help take their minds off the terrible things that they have recently endured.
In addition, the vans carried medical first aid for frontline use, mattresses, Lions wheelchairs, zimmer frames, medical supplies, pet food and more.
One of the convoy vans earned the nickname of the ‘Pampers Van’ as it was completely full of nappies.
The trip was not without some problems, said the Lions – four of the vehicles had electrical or mechanical issues, with one van having to be left in Poland for repair.
But Polish volunteers welcomed the Cornish group with open arms and “looked after the team right royally” said the club.
Joining the delivery team for the return journey to the UK were three minibuses of refugees, making the huge trip in order to find safe haven in homes around the country.
St Ann’s Chapel taxi driver Darren Tait and his wife Polly were watching the news and made a plan to take a van load of aid to where it was most needed.
Since then, the project has grown to encompass a network of volunteers, fundraisers and drop-off points around the two counties, with a website where all the up-to-date information can be found.
Four convoys plus some individual trips have been completed, and the team are documenting their experiences as well as sharing news updates from Ukraine on the Cornwall and Devon Sending Love to Ukraine Facebook page.
The need for essential humanitarian aid if anything has increased, says Lion Jamie Dowdall: the situation in Ukraine has worsened still, yet donations have dropped off.
The club is encouraging people to visit www.sendinglovetoukraine.org to check for which items are required and the drop-off points.
Darren and his crew are now busy collecting items from around the region in preparation for their next trip: they’re set to leave Cornwall on July 20.