33 trips and counting: Local man brings Ukraine aid stories to Shrewsbury
Since mid 2022, Paul from South Shropshire, has been travelling to and from east Ukraine as a volunteer, delivering humanitarian aid directly to the regions most affected by the war - such as Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Odesa.
Having completed 33 trips so far, covering thousands of miles and with no intention of stopping, Paul will share what he describes as an "emotional and difficult journey" via a talk which will be held at the Barnes Theatre, Shrewsbury School, on February 19.
Using his own videos and photographs, Paul will cover everything from the practicalities of getting humanitarian aid to east Ukraine, focusing on moving stories of people he has helped and showing the day-to-day dangers of working in a country at war.
Paul said perhaps one of his greatest achievements was the purchase and delivery of a fully equipped ambulance, packed out with additional medical supplies. He explained: "With the help of other local volunteers and sponsored by local businesses and individuals we held a Promise Auction that raised enough money to purchase the ambulance and supplies. Just a few weeks later I was able to deliver them to a medical team in a town called Pavlohrad in the Dnipro Region. Pavlohrad acts as a medical stabilization centre for both civilian and military personnel injured on the front line. Just a few days later, I received information that Pavlohrad itself had been subjected to missile attacks and, with many civilians injured, the ambulance had been put to immediate use - saving lives".
If you would like to hear more of Paul's amazing story, tickets are available at the link below.
Where: Barnes Theatre, Shrewsbury School, Aston Road Shrewsbury SY37BA - parking available.
When: February 19, doors open: 6.30pm, start 7pm, ends 8.30pm - bar refreshments available before and after.
Entry: Free. Any donations will go towards humanitarian aid for Ukraine, please reserve your place here.
