Driving aid into Ukraine 'to make a difference'
For the past three years carpenter Matt has been delivering aid to the city of Sumy, which is on the front line of the war in Ukraine.
Every six weeks he makes the 2,000-mile (3,219km) trip from his home in Oxfordshire, working extra days so he can afford to regularly drive to the warzone.
Matt believes in the importance of standing with the people of Ukraine "where they're experiencing all these problems, and letting them know that you're by their side".
In 2022, Matt saw a video online which showed a Russian tank drive over the top of a car driving in the opposite direction, and afterwards he "couldn't stop thinking about it".
He resolved to collect medical aid locally, making the arduous trip into Ukraine via the Channel Tunnel and through several countries while "everybody was coming the other way".
He says: "We drove in and managed to meet people and share some aid out and help a little bit and it started there."
Matt works with a group of local school parents who raise money for medical and surgical equipment.
He and his team distribute aid to five hospitals in Sumy, then leave the vehicles at the frontline, to be repurposed as ambulances, troop carriers and assault vehicles, before hitch-hiking home.
"When we're dropping off in Sumy, we speak to the doctors and the surgeons in the hospitals," Matt says.
"The day I get back, we start again. We're on it and we've got a list. We know what they really, really need."
Matt's wife, who we are not naming in this feature, says her husband previously mentioned travelling to Ukraine in passing but one night broke the news over dinner that he was going the next day, which was a "massive shock".
She says: "It was really hard because at that time, it was so unknown... it was quite scary because I didn't know what was on the other side.
"He was away the first trip, either four or five days, it was really quick. And he literally drove without stopping and drove straight back, he was exhausted."
She adds: "I had no communication with him.
"Once he'd got across the border, I didn't hear anything else. So it was a waiting game."
Anna and Iryna, who have been working with Matt from their Oxfordshire base, say as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine unfolded they knew they wanted to help.
They have accumulated about £1.5m through fundraising and donations since 2022.
"There was one morning when nobody heard from Matt," Iryna recalls.
"We are sitting and thinking 'Where is he? Where is he?' And then eventually Matt pings a message and you're like, 'phew'.
"It's not easy. He is almost like a member of the family... we've adopted Matt."
Anna says: "It's really tricky because Matt's a grown man and he's really sensible, and we know that he's going to look after himself and he's not going to do anything stupid... and we know he's got some great, great friends out there.
"You've just got to trust and hope that he's not going to be one of the unlucky ones that gets hit. You know, what more can we do?
"We're always on slight edge when he is out there. We are always slightly anxious."
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises against all travel to Sumy.
It also says there is an "ongoing risk of harm to British nationals from Russian attacks across all of Ukraine", including from "missiles and drones that hit unintended targets or from falling debris".
"We keep our travel advice under constant review to ensure it reflects the latest updated information for British nationals travelling abroad," a spokeswoman said.
Iryna's cousin is a trauma surgeon in Ukraine who was having to use household drills during surgery to "put metal plates in people's bodies".
"They had absolutely not been prepared for this," she says about Russia's full-scale invasion.
"We send a lot of out of date medication, which otherwise would go to landfill, which absolutely is life-saving in Ukraine."
Matt shows the BBC around his 4X4 to show what else is being transported on his latest expedition.
It is stacked with crutches, Zimmer frames, wheelchairs, tourniquets, bandages and handheld ultrasound scanners, which can be used to detect internal bleeding and shrapnel.
There is paracetamol and some veterinary equipment too, which he says is "dual purpose".
"If it's syringes and stuff like that, you can use it on humans as well... if you're desperate, then you make things work."
Matt has been known to bring protein shakes in the summer, handwarmers in the winter and even a bit of cake to brighten spirits.
Yevgen is Matt's local contact, and sometimes joins him in a convoy on his travels.
He owns a garage but since the conflict has been busy fixing military vehicles.
"I can say it's life now," he says.
"I cannot believe people from a far away country just keep supporting us. They do a big thing."
He calls Matt a "friend for life".
Matt's wife says he "doesn't talk to me about guns, he doesn't talk to me about warfare or anything like that, because I can't deal with that".
"I probably reconcile it in my head with the charitable stuff that he's doing," she continues.
"When he's going to the hospitals, or the orphanage, or to see the things that they've set up for the children out there... I think that's what probably helps me to kind of not lose it every time.
"But he doesn't talk to me about war. He talks to me about the people, and that's probably what pulls me forward each time."
Matt, Anna and Iryna have been awarded medals from the Ukrainian government for services to the country during the war.
Matt says their mission is not just about providing the physical aid but about bringing a "bit of hope".
"If you can imagine saving someone's life, I mean, that's got to be the ultimate thing for a human being."
You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
'It's Groundhog Day': Ukraine's sky defenders stuck in relentless battle
Ukrainian forces halt Russian advance in Sumy region, says army chief
Related Links
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
‘Do not forget Ruuko': Boston marks 80 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Related : Dozens of people — including peace activists, members of faith groups, and musicians — gathered on Dewey Square to raise alarm about the continuing nuclear threat worldwide. 'This is a sad event to commemorate, but in a way it's also a celebration,' said Brian Garvey, executive director of Massachusetts Peace Action. 'Unlike those doomed to repeat history, we are here to remember it — so we do not repeat the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.' The atomic bombings 80 years ago have left lasting health and environmental effects, speakers said, that continue to shape global debates over nuclear weapons. The Russia-Ukraine war has raised concern that the weapons could be used today. Advertisement Eileen Kurkoski, a member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, held a sign that read "Ban the Bomb" at Wednesday's event. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Among those warning of those risks was Dr. Ira Helfand, who has held key roles with two organizations that were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work to abolish nuclear weapons and prevent nuclear war. 'This event today is designed to bring people's attention to the dangers of nuclear war,' Helfand said. 'We go about our business as if we weren't under this incredibly grave threat. That has to change.' Advertisement The square itself became a space for reflection Wednesday amid the bustle of downtown Boston. Encircling the lawn were poster boards displaying artwork and poetry inspired by the bombings on Japan and commemorating the lives lost. An origami station invited attendees to fold paper cranes, a Japanese symbol of peace and remembrance. Some visitors paused to take in the displays quietly; others joined conversations with organizers at tables for advocacy groups and peace coalitions. Stone of Hope drummers from the Friends Meeting at Cambridge took to the stage to perform. After speaking to the crowd, Morrow described using art — in photography and through installations — and working as a nuclear peace activist to honor her family's story. 'My grandmother did not see the abolition of nuclear weapons in her lifetime,' Morrow said. 'But I hope she can see it through mine.' At 14 years old, Morrow remembers sitting in world history class participating in a debate: whether or not the atomic bomb should have been dropped. Morrow was the only student who said 'no' to dropping the bomb. Sidate Ngom, one of the Stone of Hope drummers, performed at the Hiroshima Commemoration event on Wednesday. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff 'I feel like more people should have said no,' Morrow recalled. 'But that was the moment that it clicked. I understood my connection to [the bombings] is vastly different than the way that it's taught to anybody in this country.' Morrow was only 11 years old when her grandmother passed away from glioblastoma, a fast-moving brain cancer. Today, Morrow wears a gold pin in the shape of a dove picked up during a visit to the Nagasaki peace museum, to be reminded of Ruuko. Advertisement Sadaf Tokhi can be reached at
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thousands face travel chaos after emergency landing shuts runway at Birmingham airport
Flights in and out of Birmingham were suspended for more than five hours on Wednesday after a light aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing. Police, fire and ambulance crews all went to the runway as the emergency developed. Three people on board the aircraft were treated at the scene, one suffering minor injuries, West Midlands Police said. Passengers faced hours of delays, even after the runway reopened, including many in Europe trying to fly back to Birmingham. Airport bosses announced at around 2.40pm on Wednesday that the runway was temporarily closed. It reopened shortly before 8pm. The light aircraft was heading for Belfast International Airport when it developed landing gear problems. Footage and photographs appeared to show a small white turboprop plane, understood to be a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, lying flat on the airport tarmac. The same type of aircraft was also involved in a crash at London Southend Airport in July, which killed four people. The Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) said it had started an investigation, with a team including 'inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data' sent to the scene. Airport chiefs apologised for the disruption. Flights originally scheduled to depart as far back as 2.10pm were taking off after the runway re-opened, but others faced delays as late as 12.10am on Thursday, according to Birmingham Airport's website. Woodgate Aviation, the owner of the plane, said: 'The aircraft returned to Birmingham and made an emergency landing and the main under-carriage collapsed on touch-down.' Diana Celella, an interior designer from Sutton Coldfield, was due to return from Lisbon on a Ryanair flight departing at 8.20pm after a holiday, but saw online that the flight was delayed by nearly three hours. She said: 'My husband and I have had a lovely holiday, so it's a real shame to end it with this delay. 'The atmosphere among fellow passengers is mostly resigned - everyone we've spoken to recognises that it's out of Ryanair's control.' West Midlands Ambulance Service said in a statement: 'We were called at 1.45pm to an incident involving a light aircraft at Birmingham Airport. 'Hazardous Area Response Team (Hart) paramedics and three paramedic officers were sent to the scene. 'Upon arrival we found three patients from the aircraft, all of whom were assessed and discharged at the scene.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Woman's Friends Needed a Place to Stay. She Gave Them 1 Month, and Now They're Pushing Back
A woman offers two friends a place to stay while they search for housing but sets a one-month limit due to past issuesNEED TO KNOW A woman offers two friends temporary housing, but limits their stay to just one month The friends react with resentment, despite having no clear plan for housing themselves Tensions rise as past issues come to light, and now the poster is wondering if she's wrong for asserting her boundariesA woman seeks advice from the Reddit community following a difficult situation involving two longtime friends who may be overstaying their welcome. After living in a European country for four years, she finds herself navigating the delicate balance between offering help and protecting her own space. Her friends, a couple who moved from their home country to pursue master's degrees, are at risk of becoming temporarily homeless. 'They told me they would have nowhere to go,' she writes in her post, recalling how they reached out just 10 days before their student dorm contract was due to expire. Wanting to help, she offers them a place to stay but draws a firm boundary. 'I offered they could stay with me but only for 1 month,' she shares, explaining that her apartment has a small layout and that she values her home as a quiet space. It quickly becomes clear that the couple isn't entirely comfortable with the boundary. 'They seemed a bit resentful,' she says. 'They said there was no need for me to write this in detail upfront and that they were already planning to stay just a few weeks.' But she isn't convinced, especially given their history of letting things 'drag out.' Her concern is rooted in experience — she previously hosted them for just over a week and says things quickly became stressful. 'By day 3 I was stressed,' she writes, describing how the couple would smoke weed daily and spend hours watching TV while she tried to work remotely. The male friend, in particular, seemed unmotivated and unstable. 'He used to drink 3 cans of high alcohol beer every day for months,' she shares. She also brings up a moment that stuck with her — when he avoided giving a school presentation by lying to his professor. 'He told his professor he was back in his home country so he could do it online,' she explains, adding that more recently, he delayed a job interview by two weeks after experiencing a panic attack. To her, these aren't isolated incidents but signs of a bigger problem. 'There is a pattern of poor planning,' she says, pointing out how the couple came to the country without securing housing ahead of time. The girlfriend, too, has put her in uncomfortable positions. 'She once asked to register at mine just on paper which could have caused me legal trouble,' the woman writes, expressing how deeply it bothered her. And when the male friend did manage to find a job delivering food, she says he deliberately avoided taking orders. 'He chose to hang out in low demand areas so he wouldn't get orders and still collected pay until he was fired,' she shares. Given all this, she feels her one-month offer is more than fair. 'I feel like I've been clear and reasonable,' she says. Beyond offering temporary shelter, she's also willing to store their belongings afterward if needed. What's more, she emphasizes that the couple has other options. 'They also have other friends in the city and the girlfriend's brother lives an hour away so it's not like they would be on the street,' she explains. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Despite her generosity, she still fears they may try to extend their stay past the agreed limit. 'I am not willing to compromise my mental health and home environment,' she writes. When her friends accuse her of being too strict, she sees it differently. 'I see this as me setting healthy boundaries,' she explains, knowing that her well-being depends on it. In the comment section, readers rally behind her. 'Only someone who planned on taking advantage of you for a long period would have a problem with this,' one commenter writes, firmly siding with the poster. Another reader even raises legal concerns. 'In the states someone can establish tenancy rights after 30 days,' they warn. 'If things go south you'll have to evict them.' Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
