Leeds Volunteers Deliver Aid and Vehicle to Ukraine Front Line

Local charity supports humanitarian efforts amid ongoing conflict

Volunteers from the Leeds Ukrainian Community Association (LUCA) recently completed a mission to deliver a donated pick-up truck and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, assisting medical evacuations for injured soldiers. LUCA, established in 2022 and run entirely by volunteers, has been providing support since the outset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Details of the aid mission

The convoy, which set off on 6 June, consisted of five vehicles travelling through Poland into Ukraine. LUCA partnered with Lithuanian organisations Sesios AM and the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union for the journey. The convoy carried hundreds of kilograms of aid supplies, and four of the vehicles, including the one donated by LUCA, were left in Ukraine for use by soldiers.

Along the route, the group visited Ukrainian troops training in the UK as part of Operation Interflex and made an aid delivery in Lviv. The donated vehicle was signed by Iryna Zakharova, Mayor of Borodyanka, a town near Kyiv.

Support for schools and hospitals

The mission included a visit to the Lithuanian Ukrainian Lyceum, a school rebuilt with funding from the Lithuanian government. LUCA had previously donated sports equipment to the school, which also serves as a bomb shelter for 700 local residents. Volunteers observed children using the donated equipment during their visit.

Medical supplies were delivered to volunteers in Poltava and to a hospital in Izyum. In eastern Ukraine, the team saw a vehicle donated by LUCA on an earlier mission still in active use and visited a charity in Kramatorsk that had previously received food aid.

Local and political support

Alex Sobel, MP for Leeds Central and Headingley and UK Trade Envoy to Ukraine, commented on the mission, recognising LUCA’s central role in Leeds’ support for Ukraine. He praised the volunteers’ bravery, noting they were present during some of the most intense air attacks on civilians since the conflict began.

Ben McDougall, a trustee at LUCA, highlighted the importance of local donations in sustaining their aid efforts and confirmed that LUCA is already fundraising for its next mission planned for autumn.

Further information

• LUCA supports Ukraine through humanitarian aid, assistance to Ukrainians living in Yorkshire, and morale support for Ukrainian troops training in the UK.
• The convoy included collaboration with Lithuanian partners and involved delivering aid to schools, hospitals, and local aid teams in some of the hardest-hit areas.
• LUCA’s next aid mission is scheduled for autumn 2024.

For more details, visit Doing Good Leeds.