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Caravan dealership to lead convoy to Ukraine-Poland border

The flag of Ukraine

Members of the team from Preston Caravans and Motorhomes are to lead a convoy containing humanitarian aid to Ukraine’s border with Poland.

The drivers are all volunteers and will be joined by an interpreter, who has experience in taking the trip to help those displaced by the ongoing war with Russia.

They will be heading to the village of Medyka, which is one of the main border crossings between the two countries.

Setting off on April 6th, the convoy will carry specialised medical equipment, winter baby clothes, satellite phones and walkie talkies, which have been collected ahead of the journey.

Working with Ukraine Border Action, the group is tasked with collecting 36 refugees, who are due to be reunited with loved ones and sponsors in the UK and Europe.

The convoy will be travelling with a motorhome, which will be used as a support vehicle to facilitate medical treatment and child nursing requirements on the return journey.

As the refugees are women, children and the elderly, the Preston Caravans group has thought carefully about how it can use its position in the leisure vehicle industry to provide for their specific needs.

Charlotte Campbell, marketing director at Preston Caravans and Motorhomes, will be one of the team members making the trip.

She told CaravanTimes: “I personally was always so interested in my grandma telling me about her parents welcoming in an evacuee during World War Two. She would just say ‘well they needed help and we could give that help’, and watching the news about Ukraine made me think of that sentiment.

“These people need help, and we have the means to help them. Most of our passengers back to the UK are women around my age with small children. If it was me or my friends in danger, I would hope that someone would lend us a hand.”

The group is currently fundraising for fuel, accommodation, ferry fees and food for the volunteers and refugees.

It estimates that costs will come to £12,000 and has set up a JustGiving page for anyone in the caravan and motorhome community to donate to the cause.