Second lorry of care home aid reaches Ukraine

A second lorry loaded full of donated items from a closed down care home has reached a hospital in Ukraine.

Milton Keynes-based Help Ukraine BAMK UK Community Interest Company (CIC), got involved to help transport the furniture and bedding from a 100-bed home in Hyde, Greater Manchester.

An earlier delivery of motorised hospital beds, mobility aids, bedding, towels and even a piano made it to the country in November.

Nataliya Lawson, from the CIC, said there were so many items left behind that after "a generous donation" and volunteer support it was able to buy a large vehicle to get the goods to the country.

She said the large lorry full of goods included furniture, bedding, towels and mobility aids, was collected from the former Hyde car home, run by Cygnet Health.

She said volunteers Richard and Debbie Pritchard and Liz and Marek Rudzinski , drove the 157 miles (253km) from Milton Keynes to Hyde to meet the driver and help load up the vehicle.

"I cannot ignore mentioning James Baird, a British farmer from Littlehampton who got involved into aid work and took it to the next level," she said.

He arranged the logistics and with the donation was able to organise the purchase of the lorry that transported the goods, which would now stay in the country.

Lawson said the items, which arrived on 2 January, would be used by a small hospital in Zolochiv, west Ukraine, in its newly opened palliative care department.

"Even though the furniture delivered as part of this aid load is second hand, it has been hugely appreciated by the hospital staff and will definitely benefit patients," she added.

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