Guernsey friends to drive ambulances to Ukraine

Fergus MacInnes, Daisy Livesey and Emile Gonder are driving the cars to Ukraine

Three young people from Guernsey are setting out on a 33-hour drive to deliver two specially-converted vehicles to Ukraine.

Fergus MacInnes, 18, Daisy Livesey, 20, and Emile Gonder, 20, spent the summer refurbishing a Mitsubishi Shogun and a Nissan X-Trail, with the help of mechanic Craig Whitley.

The cars are now ready for their new role as ambulances or casevac (casualty evacuation) vehicles on the front line, where they will be used to bring injured soldiers to safety.

The friends will drive the vehicle to Ukraine via Paris and Dresden, Germany, before returning on flights from Poland.

'Incredibly grateful'

The group fundraised £6000 to pay for the conversions needed to make the cars ready for their new role.

"We've added some really great front lights for when it's driving in the dark," said Fergus.

"New all-weather tyres, and then a new radiator, just generally making it mechanically sound, and all that work's been fantastically done by Craig Whitley.

"We're incredibly grateful for the work he's done.

"He's done it all free of charge."

'Pretty excited'

Fergus was inspired to contribute to the work of Mission Ukraine after spending two months volunteering in the country earlier this year.

"I heard a lot of awful stories about those who unfortunately didn't make it back from the front for lack of casevac vehicles," he said.

"And that's really been obviously a huge inspiration to provide them."

The team will set off for Ukraine later.

"I'm pretty excited, just very excited for the opportunity to help get people off the front line and back to their families," said Emile.

"Really, that's a big motivation."

Mission Ukraine is British-Ukrainian charity which has delivered more than 30 casevac vehicles to Ukraine so far.