All thirty-one of us have now safely returned home from Ukraine having delivered seventeen pickup trucks and over £100,000 of aid to our contacts in Lviv, Kyiv, Poltava and Izium. Thanks to your huge generosity we raised £235,000 for this trip bringing the total donated over our ten trips to date to Ukraine to £1,350,000. This has enabled us to deliver a total of 85 pickup trucks, an ambulance, a minibus (to assist with veteran rehabilitation) and an ATV together with specialist medical equipment to various hospitals and large volumes of medical and humanitarian aid. This, our tenth trip, is our last under the banner of MedivatruckstoUktaine but our work and aid trips will very much continue now as part of Convoy4Ukraine www.convoy4ukraine.com a UK registered charity doing similar work. Our next convoy leaves on the 13th of February 2026 and if you are interested in joining us do please contact me on paul@southfieldshouse.co.uk Thank you again for your generosity and support. Slava Ukraini!
Paul Parsons
The Team
John Foster, Charles Moubray, Harry Charnaud, Charles Branchaud, Richard Hickson, Archie Lightfoot, Charles Prickett, Stephen Breslin, Edward Harford, James Harford, Toby Chambers , Suzanna Stuart-Monteith, Andrew Cunningham, Edward Montgomery, William Francklin, Liell Francklin, John Heagney, Matt Arvanitis, Robert Mercer, Tom Mercer, Freddie de Lisle , James Dilhorne, Laura Fearon, Janet Rowe, Rohan Lyndan, Lisa Hainsworth, Archie Hainsworth, Oleh Nadia, Mike Edgington, Anthony White and Paul Parsons
Thursday 11th September
Our drivers from all over the country ranged from sprightly 20 year olds up to 80 years plus, the new recruits relatively apprehensive about this epic journey to a war zone. The old-stagers seemed quietly confident in our endeavour. Our organisers Paul Parsons and Anthony White have proven expertise having now organised ten expeditions commencing in February 2023. The hard work that they had put in to organise this trip was very significant. They were ably assisted by Archie Hainsworth and Oleh Nayda.
18 pickup trucks had been bought, one of which had been delivered previously to Kyiv, together with over £100,000 worth of medical and humanitarian aid which had been specifically requested by their contacts in Ukraine. A full list of aid is in the Appendix.
Aid had been packed filling the trucks all of which had been thoroughly serviced and were fitted with new tyres. My son James and I arrived at Southfields and took our Mitsubishi Warrior for a short run around the local roads. We got back to Southfields for Paul’s pep talk and then went into the field to have a look at the vehicles together with a mass of Ukrainian children and their parents who gave us each a little thank you card and packet of sweets as a send-off.
FRIDAY 12th September
After an early start we were in good time for our slot and had a welcome cup of coffee and a bun. We passed through French ‘Douanes ‘ with very little delay and without difficulty once we finally found a customs officer. He obligingly stamped (in duplicate of course) all our paperwork without requiring an inspection of the vehicles so we were suitably armed in case we were again stopped by the ‘Zoll’ on the Germany autobahn as in May.
We left Calais in good order but had to drive through heavy rain showers. We didn’t drive in strict convoy but rather in a loose formation trying to keep tabs on the other cars. Each car had a number stuck on its rear which was most useful in identifying other cars at a distance.
We set off heading for our first fuel stop just north of Dunkirk to overnight in Dortmund, a long slog Notwithstanding some hefty traffic jams (during which a number of lorry drivers
showed their appreciation of our expedition) we arrived at out hotel only about half an hour late. Food and drink were waiting for us having been ordered by WhatsApp followed by a well-earned sleep.
SATURDAY 13th September
Whilst we had breakfast a flat tyre had to be changed which Archie sorted. We then filled up at the station next door (having of course checked coolant and oil level) when one of our team (who will remain nameless) decided to fill up with petrol rather than diesel. It could have been bad news but, as luck was on our side, he got away with it after a few tense miles. It was a joy driving across middle Germany through rolling farmland, forests and the Harz mountains where the farms and fields were embellished with rows of trees in a very set Germanic manner. As we travelled east there was less and less traffic, bypassing south of Leipzig and north of Dresden. We saw a sign to Colditz which I would have loved to visit but orders are orders!
Having driven 850 miles on excellent roads courtesy of the European Union we arrived in Gliwice in Poland where we parked the pickups in secure parking. Dinner and again we elders were in no fit state to go partying later but the young indulged.
SUNDAY 14th September
Up for breakfast at 7:00 and set off for the last stretch to Lviv. I stupidly took the wrong road onto A14 heading west rather than east adding about twenty miles extra. Again, in heavy rain we passed south of Krakow. Our next pin was Orlen Krzemienica where we were to muster into an actual convoy to travel into Ukraine. Eventually we arrived at next pin and had just time for a Big Mac to build us up for our arrival in Ukraine – Harfords late again!
We set off for the Ukrainian border at Budomierz on small roads through forest and small villages to arrive at crossing point. This does not take commercial traffic and was devoid of other vehicles. However, we still queued for about two hours when our cars and contents were searched and finally, we got through. This we were told was speedy!
One abiding memory I shall have is of a lady in the first Ukrainian village we passed through cheering us on our way – it was a simple thing, but it made me feel good.
We headed towards Lviv on rough roads with mad Ukrainian drivers trying to overtake the convoy. The black soils of Ukraine were doing their stuff as on either side there were amazing fields of maize and sunflowers together with some very colourful churches. We took another wrong turning coming to Lviv ending up on a small road which took us into the centre but degenerating into very rough cobbles causing one of the pickups to break a spring (miraculously mended overnight by the team). We parked up in secure parking and were bussed into the centre and to our hotel, a most comfortable establishment with amazing large brick lined catacombs which they used as air-raid shelters incorporating a well-stocked bar.
MONDAY 15th September
A very busy day. Up again at 7:00 for breakfast and then to our vehicles. Across Ukraine at 9:00 AM every morning there is a siren when everything stops for a minute’s silence to remember the dead.
We started at the German Federal Government funded brand-new prosthetics unit at UNBROKEN hospital run by Lviv City Council. This is where they create prosthetic limbs for the very many limbless. There were some very gruelling pictures all over the walls which portrayed some of the patients. We were taken through every department by a lady called Oxhana who had been a sculptor in her prewar life and who sadly lost her brother in the war. They were using 3D printing to create a frame that would become an arm and sculpting a leg from a cone of material – see below.
We handed over five endoscopes and gastroscopes that had been requested by the surgeons at Unbroken.
We then went to a Veterans Centre run a by a very extrovert ex-army officer called Andriy Zholob who was rockstar, biker, surgeon and psychologist (in which ever order you like!). The building was one of three centres in Lviv and had only been opened ten days before and catered for the veterans who were seriously affected by their experiences and found it is difficult now to live with civilians and need to acclimatise into new employment – essentially PTSD. The soldiers were quite well paid when they were signed up but struggled when they had to leave the army as civilian pay is much less. Veteran rehabilitation is a huge challenge across Ukraine, a challenge which will only increase in the years to come.
Then to the most moving and, poignant, visit of all to the Field of Mars. This is a large area in the middle of Lviv and the overflow of the main Lychakiv Cemetery. There are thousands of recent graves row upon row, each with flags flying, (the blue and yellow national flag, red and black for blood and the black soil of the Ukraine and on occasion a Brigade or Unit flag)), a photo of the deceased and beautifully arrayed with fresh flowers, candles etc. There were also a number of women soldiers, a reminder that some 70,000 or so women serve in the armed forces. It is the most heart-rending place and one cannot help but be moved by it. There was a burial service happening in one place while we were there and a number of family members tending other graves.
We then moved to the City Hall to meet the Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi who thanked us for our work and told us something of his work on the world stage seeking investment and developing relationships with other cities. He was an enthusiast of Manchester. We posed for a group photo (and yes, I know that the Union Flag is upside down!) There followed a talk in the Council Chamber detailing the challenges the fourth year of war were presenting and how Lviv was seeking to address them. The City Council was spending 20% of its budget to the military with significant emphasis on veteran support. To date there had been circa fifteen drone or missile strikes on Lviv but that figure is now probably out of date.
The next visit was to the Rizdva Presviatoyi Bohorodytsi Church where the pickups were blest by Fr Orest and Fr Vasyl . This is a very modern church dedicated to Pope John Paul II where we were shown the frescoes mostly unfinished as the artist had gone to the front to be a drone pilot. Here we handed over three of our trucks and a large quantity of aid to Tetiana and her team who came wearing national dress. As well as the aid we buy, Tetiana’s organisation finds homes for all manner of things donated to us whether they be soft toys, walking aids discarded by our profligate NHS or more sophisticated second-hand medical equipment.
This is a message received from Fr Vasyl following our return home which typifies the depth of gratitude we encountered everywhere:” … it is probably hard for you even to imagine how grateful we are to God for you and for the way you support us and Ukraine itself through such generous help and your constant efforts on behalf of our homeland. We thank You and Your friends for this so much and are always happy to welcome you and ready to assist you in anything needed for our common cause—for our victory in this war. May God bless You and all Your friends with your families!!!”
Back to our hotel where we parked up our trucks ready for the next day’s long drive to Poltava. We had presentations by a Olha and her husband Oleksi ( himself a veteran no longer able to serve) who ran AHAFP an organisation which focussed on rehabilitation using naturopathy – mountaineering, rafting etc. We had earlier in the year presented a minibus to Olha and Oleksi and they were able to report back on how this had helped with their trips to the Carpathians in particular given the needs of many disabled.
There followed a talk by Andriana, a professor of medicine by day, from an NGO called Lviv Volunteer Medical. Their focus was on making individual first aid kits for which there is great demand. Sadly, it is becoming harder to find volunteers and funds to buy the components of the kits. We handed over a large number of tourniquets, a key component.
The psychological effect of the war and its aftermath is having a great influence on the fighting population and indeed to those who closely related. It is inspiring to see individuals reinvent themselves to use their peacetime skills to apply those same skills to help the war effort. An example of this is of course Zelensky, the famous comedian (particularly in Russia) who reinvents as the President.
TUESDAY 16th September
Breakfasted a little later than had been our habit and took a minibus back to the Polish frontier at Medyka in very heavy rain and took two hours to get through (even with no medical supplies). Thereafter Krakow and home.
SUMMARY
James and I drove just under 1,400 miles. I cannot thank the organisers enough for setting up this expedition which will be something I will fondly remember for the rest of my life. As I mentioned earlier, we new recruits were a little apprehensive of travelling in a war zone but really to no avail. I am going to steal Freddie de Lisle’s words who described so succinctly, and so much better than I would, all of our feelings:
“Hi All. I’ve been reflecting on the trip now back for three days. Witnessing what I saw and felt has affected me deeply. The normality laced with ghastly abnormality in Ukraine showed the resilience of people. I hope that the little we did showed them that we do care about them. There is always hope. Above all the camaraderie with the whole team was wonderful. How we all came together in a joint enterprise was also witness to friendship. Thank you all for giving me an extraordinary experience.”
Edward Harford
Tuesday – Tom Mercer
Breakfast was filled with camaraderie as we hugged goodbye to the half of our group who were heading home. As one of those staying for the journey East, and especially as a Ukraine first-timer, I felt a sense of trepidation about what lay ahead. We made the most of Leopolis’ fine spread and were in our trucks by 7.15am.
On the near side of Kyiv we met with Katya and her colleague from Mercy & Hope. They are actively involved in rehabilitation amongst other activities. We gave them a special ultra-sound machine that helps to physically revitalise soldiers’ muscles when they are recuperating, before they head back to the front. They say the total number of dead each day is 200-300 and the same number injured. Reality hit home when she said they needed donations of freezer vans, to transport the fallen back from the front. I leave feeling humbled by the energy and drive of all those that are helping the war effort with a whole host of pragmatic initiatives.
As we drove through Kyiv there was a stark contrast between the bleak-looking apartment blocks and the high-rise offices. We grab a few photos from the windows as we make our way across town and over the Dnieper River. Once through the city, we settled into the long drive ahead, surrounded by huge arable fields of wheat, sunflowers and maize – you can see why Ukraine is described as the breadbasket of Europe. The further East one travels, the more evidence of a country at war is revealed – checkpoints and bunkers, and more and more military vehicles of all types. Some sections of motorway are super-wide, enabling them to be used as emergency runways in the event of an attack on the official airbases.
On the way to Poltava Archie L picks up a speeding ticket, which he’s rather proud of. It’s late and dark by the time we arrive, but we were greeted by the smiling Daria, and her colleagues. We handed over a generator generously donated by Tippers, and three vehicles. Then a short walk to our hotel. Air raid sirens started to ring out, but no one batted an eye lid, and carried on going about their business. Outside we meet two Georgian friends, Archil (a school master in a former life) and Serhii, and we said goodbye to another of our pick-ups. Inside the hotel we settled down for dinner and I got the chance to meet Loza, a soldier, and his wife. Loza seemed quite calm and collected and I asked him how he managed his mental health – he explained that he pays for a private psychologist when he’s back from the front line, which has been a huge help. He’s a national level power lifter and in the middle of a PhD in Physical Culture & Sport – something that he intends to pick up later. We were also joined by Mykola, a medic, to whom we handed another of our trucks after we had eaten.
The gratitude expressed by those we visited was effusive, warm and genuine. Ukrainians are very grateful for everything they receive and there are always gifts for us – a badge, a flag, a framed note of thanks, shot glasses, even a model tank. This level of gratitude is best understood in some of the messages received following our return home. A couple of these are reproduced here:
“ I thank you very much once again for your attention to our team and your help. Many thanks from all of us. For me and I think, for each guy who’s doing their best … in this bloody war, any type of support, help and attention of people who aren’t obligated to care about our needs and troubles is a source of energy and inspiration. So, I hope we’ll meet each other another time in a more peaceful and friendly environment to have a little bit longer discussion around something more pleasant than a combat activity and disaster around. Hope to have you, Oleh and your friends in Georgia as our guests also. Archil”
“…I am deeply grateful for your words and for everything you and your team do for us. Every trip you make is not just about trucks — it’s hope you bring along with the steel and diesel. It was truly a pleasure to see you, even for a brief moment. It always feels like there’s never enough time, with so much to share and talk about. I hope that next time we’ll have more moments together, even if it’s just between loadings. Thank you for your warmth and support — they mean more than words can express. I truly hope we’ll meet again, many times over. And I dream of theday when we’ll see each other after Victory, with no rush and no pain, and raise a glass to life and freedom. My brother is recovering, step by step. It’s still hard for him, but he’s holding on, knowing we’re all here and believe in him. Your flag in your office is very special to me. It reminds me that we are not alone — that there are people on the other side of the world standing with us, shoulder to shoulder in this fight.
Take care of yourself, my friend. I’ll be waiting to see you in February — and for all the meetings yet to come, as we keep moving forward together toward Victory. With warmth and gratitude, Svitlana.”
Wednesday
Breakfast and a short walk around Poltava before hitting the road again. An early stop on the outskirts to re-fill the camo-truck which is guzzling fuel. Just before Kharkiv we made another pit stop, this time to meet up with Artem, a medic, and his ambulance team – to handover some medical equipment including in particular a portable ultrasound. Toby was delighted that he came out of the exchange with an old ammo casing, which now adorns his flat as an umbrella stand…and conversation starter.
We pressed on to our final gas station stop, just shy of Izium. Here we meet more Ukrainian friends. Anya and Svitlana, both medics and two big characters, gave us all a grateful hug. Volodymyr, a Ukrainian who had been living in the US with a successful business, came back home to fight; he had lost his brother and cousin, but was full of conviction to push on. We said goodbye to two more trucks and then made our way to our final destination, Izium. 2,025 miles done. From this point phones and any tracking devices were turned off.
Hosted by Ihor, we grabbed a coffee and had a stroll around Izium. At the café, the young people of 6th Brigade are ready to deploy: the chat is subdued, the mood is poised and serious. Izium was occupied by Russians from April ‘22 until Ukraine liberated it in Sept ’22. When the Ukrainians recovered it three years ago, they
discovered 447 bodies in shallow graves in the wood. These civilian men and women had been executed by the Russians. One of the damaged buildings in the main square has a big screen, with a rolling memorial to those who were killed.
We all met back for a delicious dinner cooked by Katya – I’m just embarrassed we didn’t manage to eat more and do it the justice it deserved. We split into a couple of groups as we were bunking down with different families for the night. Richard brought some Famous Grouse from Scotland…so after a bit of chat and a bedtime snifter, we rolled out our sleeping bags. Periodically there would be an air raid siren, a flash of light in the distance, and then the doors would shake as the vibrations from the explosion reached us. A strange feeling to be tucked up whilst soldiers were fighting just 20 miles away.
Thursday & Friday
We met for breakfast, and it was another great spread put on by Katya. We then handed
over the final two vehicles. The first to Sergei. The second pick-up went to Nazar. As with all the handovers of equipment and vehicles, we knew we were making a genuine difference – not only with the physical hardware, but with a show of solidarity and support. Katya shed a tear as we said our goodbyes.
The long journey back began.
The first leg was a minibus to Kharkiv, then a train to Kyiv. Once in Kyiv we had dinner with Yaroslav; he’s a character and a big supporter, and his wife (based in the UK with their kids) sources all of the medical equipment we bring over. Yaroslav then gave us a mini tour around the centre of Kyiv; the central square boasts a range of destroyed Russian military vehicles and tanks, alongside an inspiring memorial to fallen soldiers. Then it’s onto the sleeper train to Lviv (a surprisingly restful night) and then a minibus to the Polish border. Queues at border control, a minibus to Przemyśl, breakfast in the ornate station, then a train to Krakow. There’s time for one last team lunch in the main square, and a look around some sites (including the stunning St Mary’s Basilica), before saying our farewells and heading to the airport.
What a whirlwind trip this was, packed with intense experiences and emotions. A fun road trip adventure with my brother. Fascinating conversations and friendships formed with our fellow travellers. The clash between life-as-normal in the vibrant cities and the reality of hundreds dying each day on the front line. Admiration for the dozens of start-ups supporting veterans. The disconnect and resentment between those fighting and those who aren’t. The sense of exhaustion from soldiers, and yet the determination to keep fighting. The donor fatigue, but the resolve to do something about it.
As Archie, one of my co-drivers, put it “Until one has walked among the flags of a Ukrainian military cemetery, felt them flutter on one’s face, and seen families tenderly care to the graves of the fallen with flowers and mementos of home, it is difficult to understand properly the pain Ukrainians are enduring on behalf of all of us”
The history between Ukraine and Russia is complex, but the simple truth is that Ukraine is the forefront of the fight for democracy. And it’s vital that we back them all the way.
Aid list
| Product | Quantity | Price |
| Portable ultrasound | 1 | 2,162.10 |
| CAT Tourniquets | 1010 | 2,5747.08 |
| Israeli Bandages (Emergency Bandage 6”) | 100 | 669.60 |
| NIO Intraosseous Devices | 4 | 437.76 |
| Sleeping bags | 5 | 294.91 |
| Stihl Chainsaw | 4 | 639.98 |
| Folding shovel | 10 | 219.50 |
| SAM Junctional Tourniquets | 3 | 1,017.00 |
| Vented Chest Seals | 420 | 4,782.96 |
| Ecoflow River 2 Max | 9 | 3,141.00 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Portable Power Station | 17 | 9,108.00 |
| Generators 3.5kw | 2 | 548.00 |
| Celox Gauze | 170 | 4728.72 |
| Jackery Explorer 3000 v2 Portable Power Station | 2 | 3,998.00 |
| Power banks 30000mAh | 60 | 1,619.40 |
| Burn gels | 330 | 817.80 |
| Power banks 50000mAh | 10 | 297.40 |
| Generators 2.3kw | 12 | 3,850.00 |
| Generator 3.3KW | 6 | 2,520.00 |
| Generator MXR5500i | 1 | 999.99 |
| Vehicle Tools | 6 | 535.50 |
| Ecoflow Delta 2 Max | 1 | 999.00 |
| Soft stretchers | 50 | 1,398.00 |
| Olympus colonoscope CF-Q260DL | 2 | 10,000.00 |
| Olympus colonoscope CF-H260DL | 1 | 8,100.00 |
| Olympus gastroscope GIF-H260 | 1 | 7,750.00 |
| Olympus gastroscope GIF-Q260 | 1 | 4,150.00 |
| TOTAL: | 100,531.70 |
In addition, we took out a significant number of donated generators and ex NHS walking aids et
