Essex bus company donates two former vaccination units to Ukraine
An Essex bus company has donated two disused mobile vaccination buses to Ukraine.During the Covid-19 pandemic, the single-decker buses were converted to administer thousands of vaccinations to vulnerable people in remote or isolated communities.Now, they are being repurposed to support humanitarian efforts in the war-torn country.Bill Hiron, of Rochford-based independent bus company Stephensons, said: "The NHS decided they had no further use for them, so we asked the question 'would these buses be any use to Ukraine?' and the answer was very much yes."
'Hide from drones'
The company bought back the vehicles and one has already arrived in Ukraine. A second will join a convoy of aid on Sunday, loaded with supplies and aid.Graham Hayden, 62, is organising the transport and driving the bus 1,600 miles to Ukraine himself.He is representing a not-for-profit livery company called the Worshipful Company of Carmen and expressed his gratitude to Stephensons.
"We don't want to send them something... [when] you've got drones chasing you and you turn the key and it doesn't start. So we're after buses, minibuses, pickup trucks, lorries," he said."They want small minibuses because they can hide from the drones."It will be used for mobile doctor surgeries, mobile hospital-type arrangements, so it will actually be used in the configuration it's in now."The trip will cost more than £1,200 just for transport including tolls and the ferry, and Mr Hayden urged people to donate to his organisation's appeal.
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
43 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Flights are 'almost always cheaper' if you depart on two specific days of the week reveals travel expert
A travel expert has revealed the best days of the week to fly to secure a cheap flight. Dawn Morwood, co-director of Cheap Deals Away, says that travelling on two specific days will help tourists save money on their flight. Speaking to the Express, the expert reveals that flying mid-week could help travellers snap up a bargain flight. Dawn says: 'Tuesday and Wednesday departures are almost always cheaper than weekend flights.' Many British travellers try to maximise their time away by flying at the weekend so prices are generally highest on Saturday. If you're able to be flexible with your departure date, it's worth checking the price of your flight across different days. Dawn also claims that booking a flight at the earliest date possible isn't always the best way to save money. She says: 'I've seen people book flights 10 months early thinking they've got a bargain, only to watch the same route drop by £200 per person just weeks before departure. 'Airlines use dynamic pricing, which means they're constantly adjusting based on demand predictions.' However, the expert adds that booking a flight last-minute is also a risky way to travel. She explains that tourists could face 'inflated prices' and 'limited availability' as well as being forced to 'compromise' on 'accommodation quality' if they book late. According to Dawn, the ideal time to book a short-haul flight to Europe is six to eight weeks before departure. When it comes to a long-haul flight, it's best to book eight to 12 weeks ahead of travel.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Ryanair's confusing symbols explained as passenger baffled by strange safety card instructions
Two confusing symbols on a Ryanair safety card have left one passenger bewildered – with sleuths on the internet trying to help decode them. Under a Reddit post titled 'What does this bit of Ryanair safety card mean?', user Throwaway_wife_1982 shared her perplexing moment. 'I spent a 2 hour flight staring at this and I cannot work out what they mean?! 'What is next to the glasses? And is that and ear? If so, what is coming out of it?' Uploading an image, she circled the parts she was having difficulty with. And even for seasoned travellers, the answer to the question is not clear. Many of the comments on the post saw users guessing the answers. 'I want to know if the one below is something to do with setting fire to squirrels?' wrote Breaking-Dad. Dr_Turb said: 'I'm pretty sure the bottom one means "don't pick up your glasses, you need a spare hand for a slice of black forest gateau".' 'Bottom right clearly shows a warning against balancing sandwiches on your glasses,' joked StoneColdSoberReally. In jest, Known-Ad-1556 was able to sum up the matter comprehensively. 'There is a legal requirement for passenger safety cards to be issued / available,' he wrote. 'There is no legal requirement for these cards to make any kind of sense.' Finally, the mystery appeared to be solved. 'Top right is supposed to be an ear with an earring and a woman wearing a necklace,' wrote Mr-Incy. 'Bottom right is false teeth, things you should remove before using the emergency escape slide, if you needed to use it.' Another user responded: 'Oh it is false teeth! I thought it was a stack of steaks.' Ryanair has been contacted for clarification. The safety card isn't the only symbol on a plane that gets the attention of travellers. A flight attendant has shared the real reason behind the tiny black triangles often seen on plane walls. Henny Lim, an air hostess with the Philippines-based airline Cebu Pacific, revealed that the triangles indicate the best spot on the plane to view the wings clearly. In a now-viral TikTok video she said the stickers above the middle windows offer the best view of the wings for passengers – but also let flight attendants know the 'best vantage points for the slats and flaps outside'.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Europe's worst airport for queues named - with waiting times up to five hours
Holidays are supposed to be about switching off and relaxing, but unfortunately the airport might have other ideas. A new study has revealed the European airports where British tourists are most likely to face queues at passport control. According to The Telegraph, Brussels Airport is the hub where British tourists are most likely to hit chaos. Earlier this year, travellers reported having to wait in five-hour queues at passport control, with one passenger telling The Brussels Times: 'After a long flight, it's inhumane to expect us to stand for that long.' In a Tripadvisor review, one passenger, 'Beverly M', wrote: 'Awful experience - passport control is a shambles! So poorly organised - you shouldn't have to wait three hours to get through passport control and then try to look for your luggage. 'Sorry Belgium, but I won't be back in your country. The only good thing is that there are airport staff giving out bottles of water.' Another traveller, 'UOI', said: 'Huge bottleneck in Brussels Airport. The line for customs/immigration has taken one hour and 47 minutes and still counting!' But things could be looking up in Brussels ahead of the summer as Belgium's Interior Minister recently announced the country is introducing a 'summer plan' to reduce queues at border control. According to The Telegraph, Brussels Airport is the worst hub for chaos at passport control Bernard Quintin said that additional staff would be brought in to work on passport control, in good news for any Brits heading to Brussels this summer. The Telegraph reports that Paris is Europe's next worst offender for lengthy queues at passport control. Charles de Gaulle Airport has faced issues with a shortage of border guards which has led to chaotic queues at passport control. Problems are reportedly worse around major events such as last year's Paris Olympics and the 2023 Rugby World Cup. After Brussels and Paris, The Telegraph reports that Spain and Portugal's airports are often particularly bad for passport queues. As both European destinations are popular spots with British tourists, queues at the border have become much more chaotic since Brexit. In May, British travellers became trapped at an overcrowded passport control in Tenerife. The nightmare unfolded after several UK flights arrived in quick succession and caused severe delays. Passengers said people were 'visibly distressed' while one described the airport's conditions as 'inhumane'. Spanish authorities promised to increase the number of border guards at the airport after the incident so conditions may have improved ahead of the summer. And British tourists could fall foul of travel chaos before they've even left the UK. A new study has found that Southampton is the UK's worst airport for cancelling flights, with Belfast, London City, Aberdeen and Glasgow close behind.
