Couple's 17th Ukraine trip to provide life-saving aid

Adam McQuire and Holly Tann are taking a number of supplies over to Ukraine to assist with aid and education

A couple from Liverpool are about to embark on their 17th trip to Ukraine to provide life-saving aid and educational support.

Adam McQuire and Holly Tann will set off in their 4x4 on Saturday to deliver medical and search and rescue materials to the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.

They are members of Casus Pax, a non-profit community interest company which has been delivering aid to the country since the outbreak of the war with Russia in February 2022.

Ms Tann said the work is "incredibly rewarding", describing Ukrainians as the "most resilient people they have ever met".

The couple, who have academic backgrounds, said they are aware of the risks each trip brings

She said: "The local Ukrainian people are so supportive, they offer to put us up in their houses, they offer us food, they are incredibly generous people."

The couple will take medical supplies such as spine boards, an evacuation sled, bandages, chest seals and an X-Ray machine for a paediatric hospital.

Several businesses have donated to and sponsored the mission.

While the trip is rewarding, it is not without its risks, Ms Tann said.

She said: "If we ever feel like we are in danger then we make a plan to get back to safety as soon as possible.

"With practice, and through the partnerships we have with the emergency services, we have a good way of assessing risk before we do certain things."

As part of their visit, Casus Pax will also be providing educational support to students across Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Kyiv.

Mr McQuire said the education system was under particular strain because of the number of schools damaged or destroyed in the fighting.

He said: "A lot of the schools have doubled in size and a lot of the resources are gone, teachers are gone, so it is a massive challenge and it is something we can assist with."