THE CORNWALL Sending Love to Ukraine team have just got back home to Callington after completing their sixth convoy to deliver aid for Ukraine.

The group headed by Darren Tait of Darren’s Cars left for Warsaw, Poland on October 22 and returned on October 26 bringing back six refugees that are now living with UK sponsors.

Seven vans made the lengthy trip to Warsaw, where the aid was unloaded from the vans for distribution by their contact Arina, a Ukrainian student.

An ambulance was also part of the convoy that had been purchased by Kim Campbell who took an alternative route to Odesa, a city in Southern Ukraine to deliver the ambulance and provide much-needed medical equipment including defibrillators and other aid that was going to be used with immediate effect.

So far this year, the group have taken 72 vans totalling to 150 tonnes of aid. Most of the individuals that took part in the convoy have already made the trip three times.

Andy Burnard, one of the team and a Callington Lion said: ‘It’s ongoing and I don’t think it’s going to finish anytime soon. We are planning for the long haul. They’re getting more desperate and things are going to get harder for them. We will try and help for as long as we can for as long as they need.’

The group have had astounding support from the Callington community, and it’s this unanimous support that is enabling these aid trips.

Andy explained that the trips were rewarding, especially when the group was able to bring refugees back with them, but they were mentally-draining endeavours.

‘It’s difficult to explain how hard it is. The emotions, along with the tiredness,’ he said.

Following return from the trips Andy explained he normally takes around a week to recover.

The successful drop-off has enabled the group to also bring back six refugees including: a family of four that have been taken to Tiverton, a woman who is staying in Tavistock and another woman that has gone to Derby. For these refugees, the trip to the UK can be scary and unnerving as these individuals have left their home country and are returning with a group of strangers with the situation made more difficult by a launguage barrier. Andy explained that one of the female refugees became overcome with emotion and burst into tears as they approached Dover and ‘a glimpse of hope could be seen on her face’.

To try and reassure children travelling with them, the group provide ‘trauma teddies’, colourful teddies that are given to the child to take their mind off the situation. ‘Something as simple as that makes their life brighter for a few hours’, said Andy.

The next trip the Cornwall Sending Love to Ukraine team will be making will be in early December to deliver more aid along with Christmas presents and Christmas boxes which will be collected by Callington Lions and will be delivered to the 1,000 orphans living in Warsaw.