Team prepares to take aid to Ukraine in ambulances

John Nickell-Lean (middle) has organised for four ambulances filled with medical essentials to be transported to Ukraine

A team of “ordinary people from Suffolk” is preparing to embark on a trip to war-torn Ukraine in a fleet of second-hand ambulances.

John Nickell-Lean, 72, and Dr Janee Miller OBE, 61, are making the journey with six other people as part of a mission to deliver vital aid.

The team raised almost £43,000 to buy four former NHS vehicles as well as the medical essentials they will be transporting.

Mr Nickell-Lean, from Southwold, said: "The people of Ukraine are fighting an extremely difficult situation and, for me, sitting on the sidelines was not the most exciting thing to do."

He added: "One of my friends from Yorkshire told me about someone who had taken ambulances to Ukraine.

"I thought this sounded like a really good way to help so I set up a little charitable fund. The ambulances are in remarkably good order and it means we can get out there and back for well under £10,000 a vehicle, which is amazing."

Several residential areas were hit in Russia's attack on Kharkiv last month

Dr Miller, who was born in Moscow, decided to get involved after feeling helpless while watching the war unfold from her home in Southwold.

She said: "Russia has always been close to my heart but after the invasion I felt very frustrated that I could not do anything.

"Then John came along a couple of months ago and said he wanted to do something and I said ‘me too’ - it was as simply as that.

“There is a lot of people who have really put their heart and soul into supporting this and we are really grateful for that."

Due to the ongoing conflict, UK residents are advised by the UK government against visiting any parts of Ukraine.

Southwold's John Nickell-Lean and Janee Miller (middle) will be taking vital aid to Ukraine alongside six other helpers

Mr Nickell-Lean and Dr Miller acknowledge the dangers posed by the trip but said they were "going into this with our eyes wide open".

“God forbid if something did happen, but my view is it is actually better it happens like that than getting knocked over by a car trying to get into Sainsbury’s,” Mr Nickell-Lean said.

"There is an element of risk but we are being entirely sensible about it."