Holby City ambulance to come to Warwick boat club on its way to deliver vital medical supplies and equipment to Ukraine

From left to right, Alf Rajkowski (founder), Rosie Riley from Warwick Boat Club, Rich Timmis, Claudine Pearson, Mark Pritchard-Jeffs (co-founder), Olena Shtoda and Dr Tania Hébert. Picture submitted

An ambulance used in a popular BBC television hospital drama series will be brought to Warwick Boat Club on Saturday (July 16) as part of its journey to deliver vital medical supplies and equipment to Ukraine.

The vehicle , used in Holby City, has been donated to Ambulance Aid and is currently being taken to schools and community venues to spread awareness before it sets off for Poland.

There it will be handed over to ambulance crews who will deliver the supplies to hospitals in frontline cities.

Ambulance Aid is a Warwickshire-based not-for-profit organisation that works with Medical Aid Ukraine and a team of volunteers to raise funds, collect medical supplies and deliver ambulances to be used where they are most needed.

The organisation has already taken five former NHS ambulances and an SUV packed with medical equipment to Ukraine.

Its aim is to send one full ambulance a month to replace depleting supplies, and it is urging people to get involved either by donating money and equipment or to help raise funds and collect and manage stock.

Rosie Riley of Warwick Boat Club has been supporting the charity and and is excited about the event on Saturday.

She said: “The ambulance is off to Ukraine in a couple of weeks, so we’re lucky to have it at the club.

"It’s great fun for the kids – they get to sit in a real life ambulance and play with the controls.

“Plus, it’s such a worthy cause.

"The Ukrainian people are in desperate need of medical supplies and this is a really practical way to get them life-saving medical equipment.”

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Everyone is welcome to explore the ambulance and meet the volunteers.

Over the next few months, the different sections at Warwick Boat Club are aiming to raise between £10,000 and £12,000 to fund another ambulance and its transport to Poland.

The fundraising kicks off with a 24-hour Tennis-A-Thon on September 3.

For more about the fundraising visit https://bit.ly/3AN8hR8