A former Sheffield GP and his 84-year-old mother are set to drive more than 1,000 miles on a lifesaving adventure to support medics in Ukraine.
Dr Duncan Still and Hazel Still are a part of a team that will depart this April to deliver 4×4 cars to be used as ambulances and evacuation vehicles across the country.
They are two of the many volunteers who have joined Driving Ukraine, a grassroots aid organisation that supplies the cars in convoys to Lviv.
Dr Still said: “I want to do everything I can in my life to support the community in which I live, and that starts at home and then radiates out, not limited to countries’ borders.”
The decision to join Driving Ukraine was inspired by his friend, who had participated in past convoys, although it was Driving Ukraine’s clear mission statement that drove his choice.
“You will be given a vehicle to drive, and you know that the vehicle and the money will go straight to the people who need it most.
“There’s something about the tangible nature of a vehicle that is designed to save and help people.”
Jacob Simpson co-founded the organisation with Fynn Watt while at university in the early days of the Ukraine-Russia war, when not enough aid was being provided.
Mr Simpson said they started driving to the border to offer aid, and the mission started to grow, securing more vehicles and collaborators such as Acres Insurance, a farming collective that donates trucks on a regular basis.
“It just snowballed. We started scheduling convoys once a month and raising more money. It wasn’t a local community anymore, it was bigger than one called word.
“We have sent more than 300 trucks, driven 56 convoys and raised £2 million, the impact is life-changing for the Ukrainians, and we just want to do more of that on a bigger scale.”
Images courtesy of Driving Ukraine
Dr Still lived in Bosnia for five years during the 1990s, both during the war and then as part of the peace and reconstruction processes.
Hazel was born a refugee in Canada during World War Two and works with Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG), a volunteer group that aids asylum seekers.
Dr Still added: “You can’t just sit back and not do anything. Sometimes it’s just as damaging as harmful action.”
To support the pair’s journey, visit their donation page.