Harrogate church members set off with van of medical supplies for Ukraine

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The humanitarian mission sees senior pastor of Mowbray Community Church, Dr David Bolton, is sharing driving duties with Martin Harrison and Peter Fullarton in a non-stop journey across Europe to Wraclaw, a Polish town lying south-west of Krakow on the road to Lviv across the border in Ukraine.

After a short blessing and a goodbye from their church family, the Irishman, Englishman and Scotsman, departed Harrogate bound for the ferry terminal at Harwich in Essex.

The volunteers, working with Christian charity Reach Beyond, were able to fill their van with the type of medical supplies that will help Ukrainian civilians injured by Russian attacks, after the public's magnificent response to a Just Giving campaign launched by Reach Beyond raises in excess of £20,000.

The trip is expected to take six days there and back. Their efforts on ground will be coordinated by Central Eurasian Partners UK, a network of Christian mission organisations working throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

Dr David Bolton said: "We're showing solidarity with the people of Ukraine while praying for peace.

"We were advised that what wounded civilians needed was hospital-ready first aid kits with surgical masks and gloves, medical mattresses, tourniquets, bandages, anti-septics and wheelchairs, all the things to make it possible to treat them in the middle of a war.

"We are just the delivery men. Nothing would have been possible without the generosity of Harrogate people."

The church's Just Giving campaign is continuing.

If you would like to make a donation, visit:

www.justgiving.com/campaign/help-for-ukraine

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