'We will help for as long as Ukraine fights on'

From Bristol To Ukraine With Love sent aid almost immediately after Ukraine was invaded by Russia in 2022

The charity believed to be the first in the UK to send aid to Ukraine after the 2022 Russian invasion has marked three years of delivering boxes to the country.

From Bristol With Love To Ukraine has donated an estimated 15,000 boxes of food, medicine and supplies to the country since February 2022.

"There is no doubt that we will keep going. As long as Ukraine fights, we will be with them," said founder Dr Razvan Constantinescu.

The latest shipment of three vans with electrical generators, food and toiletries left Bristol on Saturday.

The charity pre-existed the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and before the war was sending aid to Romania.

"When the invasion happened, our board unanimously decided to send aid to Ukraine, and everything we had in storage at that time went straight there," Mr Constantinescu said.

The first shipment of 15 boxes of clothes and toys went to Ukrainian refugees in Romania.

Since then, vans full of aid have been driven across Europe almost every month.

The charity has sent thousands of boxes of aid to Ukraine over the last three years

In 2023, Dr Constantinescu was awarded the MBE by King Charles for his charitable work.

"I was humbled to receive my honour, but it is an award that recognises everybody's work here," he said.

"Nothing has been achieved without the hundreds of volunteers."

The charity is already planning deliveries for March and April, and is appealing for drivers to make the trip.

"Our challenge is not how to collect aid, but how to deliver it, that's what is limiting us," Dr Constantinescu said.

"We want people to know that we have not packed up and gone home, even though negotiations are ongoing to end the war.

"Other than the aid, we're sending them hope and a message of resilience through a difficult time," he added.