Pupils in Warwick raise more than £10,000 to help provide ambulances with vital medical supplies for Ukraine

School pupils in Warwick have raised more than £10,000 to help buy emergency supplies for people in Ukraine.

The money will go towards buying two ambulances with medical supplies.

The idea came after a conversation James Barker, headmaster at Warwick School, had with Andrew Velhosh, an educationalist from Ukraine, who is helping to co-ordinate medical aid to Ukraine.

Pupils at Warwick School and King’s High School from the Warwick Independent Schools Foundation worked together to set up a JustGiving page, and organise a fundraising walk.

Joshua Turner, a pupil at Warwick School, said: “Our original aim was to raise £5,000 to purchase a a second-hand ambulance which will then be loaded with vital medical supplies and driven to a Ukrainian field hospital.

"Such has been the generosity of pupils, staff, family and friends, we have now raised at least £10,000, which means we can go ahead and purchase a second ambulance.

"A huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far. We want to make this a powerful testimony of solidarity with all those suffering in Ukraine.”

On Sunday (April 3), more than 30 pupils and staff from both schools walked over 20 miles to raise funds.

Two students from each year group between Years 9 and Upper Sixth were selected to represent all their fellow pupils in the Walk For Ukraine.

The walk began from Warwick School, and followed Shakespeare’s Avon Way to Baddesley Clinton, then on to Kenilworth, via the Heart of England Way, before finishing back in Warwick.

There have been numerous fundraising events across the schools in the Warwick Independent Schools Foundation in support of the humanitarian effort for Ukraine, and this has been the biggest to date.

Once the ambulances have been purchased, the crews will visit the schools with the vehicles, and pupils will then be able to track the ambulances’ progress across Europe to Ukraine.

To donate to the schools’ JustGiving page go to: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/warwickschoolcharitywalk