Decommissioned ambulances and four-by-four pickup trucks left Bolton this week, heading for Ukrainan front line bring aid to those in need.
Supported by Bolton councillors, the International Aid Trust, a charity started in Chorley and still based in the North West, has been providing vehicles, aid, and financial support to Ukraine since the invasion in February 2022.
The mayor, Bolton councillors and members of the team were in Victoria Square where the convoy started the journey.
Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Mohammed Iqbal said: "We should always stand with oppressed people and they need all the support we can give.
"These ambulances are very much needed.
"They’re doing some really good work here and we’re hopefully going to send these off to make a difference."
As well as local government officials, leadership and community heads of the Trust were there to talk about the work they do and the importance of support for such a worthy cause.
Reverend Bernard Cocker, CEO of the International Aid Trust, has been working in Ukraine since 1991 and said: "I fell in love with the Ukrainian people, there’s something very, very special about them.
"Then I came back to the UK with a vision to make a difference and we founded International Aid Trust and since then we’ve never stopped helping Ukraine."
He also wanted to thank the local support the Trust gets and emphasised that the support meant a lot to the Ukrainian population both abroad and in the area.
He said: "The people of Bolton, and the people of Greater Manchester and Lancashire have helped us so much and we get as huge support from the Ukrainian population here."
Cllr Neil Maher expressed the importance of raising awareness and publicity about the events still unfolding in Ukraine and urged people to get involved and continue their amazing support.
Since the invasion in 2022, the Trust has sent over 1,170 tonnes of vital aid donated in the UK to the value of £23 million.
Cllr Maher said: "Bolton council have shown the International Aid Trust and the Ukrainian people solid support, and they’ve helped put on this event to raise publicity.
"That’s why we come here and we get genuine support for genuine people."
Organisers from the International Aid Trust said that it was rewarding to see how the work they do and the donations they receive make such a huge impact on Ukrainian communities.
Regularly going over themselves and having direct contact with the people distributing the aid, they mentioned how every penny that is donated has real consequences on the ground for those that need it.
Julie Rowlandson, community ambassador for the International Aid Trust, said: "We have sent lots of aid there, lots of projects, we work with local churches, their ministry, and since the start of the war, we’ve sent over 100 articulated lorries full of aid out and as the war continued the need for emergency vehicles became clear.
"We started sourcing and sending ambulances and pickup trucks which go to military chaplains and medics.
"They evacuate people from the front lines where the ambulances can’t go."
Organisers said that though the war has been going on for some time, help is still urgently needed with ambulances sent over to distribute aid and save people on the front lines frequently destroyed.
You can find out more about the work being done and ways to donate at www.internationalaidtrust.org.uk
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