Town sends fifth ambulance to Ukraine

Alex Donaldson (left) and Mike Bennett handed the ambulance over to Tetiana in Lviv

A town has successfully delivered its fifth ambulance to Ukraine.

The vehicle full of medical supplies completed a 1,350-mile (2,173km) journey from Towcester in Northamptonshire to Lviv in Ukraine, where it was handed over to a charity worker.

It will be used by frontline military paramedics in the far east of the country.

The team from Towcester also presented gifts, including a Premier League football.

The five ambulances have been acquired and filled with supplies by St Lawrence Church in Towcester, which is part of the Tove Benefice.

The latest vehicle was handed over in Lviv to Tetiana, the founder of a charity called Ukraine-Mother.

The ambulance was then driven 335 miles (539km) to Kyiv, where the contents were to be distributed to hospitals, paramedics and individuals in the east and south of Ukraine.

Steve Challen, from the Tove Benefice, finished loading the ambulance before it headed off to Ukraine

Steve Challen, from the Tove Benefice, said "As Ukraine braces itself for a very cold winter with severe energy rationing, I would like to thank all those who donated warm clothing, blankets, disability aids and medical items."

Artem and his friends from FC Yurivka were delighted to see a football

Before they left, the team from Towcester handed over gifts to Tetiana to recognise the personal sacrifices made by volunteers in Ukraine, including a special present for Tetiana's son Artem.

He is now the proud owner of a football used in last season's Premier League match between West Ham and Tottenham at the London Stadium.

The football was used in a Premier League game between West Ham and Tottenham

He is a member of a team based in Kyiv, who recently played a squad from Bucha, the scene of a massacre in the early stages of the Russian invasion in 2022.

Much of the town has been destroyed and rebuilding work is still going on but some aspects of normal life, like playing football, are returning.