Derbyshire councillor to deliver humanitarian aid to war-torn Ukraine
Lib Dem Derbyshire County Cllr Tom Snowdon will drive and deliver a pickup to Lviv in Western Ukraine with his daughter Kate
A Derbyshire councillor has joined forces with his daughter and a friend in a bid to raise at least £5,000 for a 4×4 pickup truck that they aim to drive to war-torn Ukraine with humanitarian aid and supplies.
Liberal Democrat Derbyshire County Cllr Tom Snowdon, who is also a Chesterfield Borough Councillor, will drive and deliver the pickup to Lviv in Western Ukraine with his daughter Kate Snowdon and friend Phil Billingham as Drive 2 Save Lives volunteers and co-drivers before they fly home via Poland.
The vehicle will be left so it can continue to be used for humanitarian purposes during the Russian and Ukrainian war including for transporting much-needed supplies and for carrying injured people to hospitals.
Cllr Snowdon said: “There is a lot happening in the Ukraine at the moment. I have always wanted to do something about it and I met up with Phil and he asked if I wanted to be a co-driver to transport a pickup truck to where it is needed and I thought this would be amazing and also a chance for me to do something to help.”
Co-driver and friend Mr Billingham has already made several trips to Ukraine with aid alongside his wife, and he is already involved with the not-for-profit organisation Drive 2 Save Lives which connects people who donate vehicles with volunteers who then drive them to Ukraine for aid-transport.
Mr Billingham will be joining Cllr Snowdon and his paramedic daughter Kate, who is also a lecturer at the University of Sunderland, as co-drivers on their joint mission in the pickup truck.
The team aims to set off on October 12 and drive the pick up via the Eurotunnel across Europe over three to four days to their destination before returning under their own steam via Poland with a flight home.
They are currently fundraising and have also set up a fundraising page https://www.goodhub.com/go/tomsnowdonukraine for people to make donations to help cover the cost of the pickup truck.
Cllr Snowdon said: “Together with my good friend Phil Billingham and my daughter Kate Snowdon, we are heading to Ukraine to deliver a vehicle that will be used to save lives.
“Together we will take turns at driving the vehicle across Europe to the delivery point in Ukraine. Then we will return from Ukraine by public transport.”
He added: “We will pay all of our own travel expenses, fuel and insurance costs. Every penny we get through fundraising will be spent on buying a suitable 4×4 pickup, and then filling it with supplies for people in war-torn Ukraine.
“We can all see the news – people are losing everything, and all supplies transported are for those in need. We will be working with local Internal Displaced Persons centres to get the aid to those in need, and support them in staying in Ukraine, close to family and friends.
“Since the war started thousands of vehicles have been lost or destroyed leaving many frontline services without the transport they need to evacuate people, deliver medical equipment or provide food supplies. Increasingly civilian areas are under missile and drone attack. The people of Ukraine need our help.
“Any and all donations will be gratefully received and put to good use to support the ordinary people of Ukraine. Please give what you can, and pass on our fundraising link to anyone you think might support what we are trying to do.”
Drive 2 Save Lives (D2SL) is providing the necessary support in sourcing insurance and completing all of the other paperwork needed for the mission to drive and donate the pickup truck to Ukraine so it can continue to be used for humanitarian purposes.
A D2SL spokesperson stated: “Each vehicle we deliver is not just transport, it is a lifeline. Whether it is an ambulance rushing a casualty to safety or a pickup carrying generators and food to a village cut off by shelling, our work has an immediate and tangible impact.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, in a bid to overthrow its pro-western Government and bring the country under its influence amidst claims of NATO expansion and fears for its own borders.
The conflict between the two countries has seen the loss of many tens of thousands of lives but despite European Allies continuing to express their support for Ukraine and US President Donald Trump’s push for a peace deal there is no immediate end to the war in sight.