Two ambulances will be heading to Ukraine from Warwick - thanks to school pupils and the community

Some of the pupils and staff from Warwick School and King’s High who helped raise money to fund two ambulances for Ukraine. Photo supplied

Two ambulances will be heading to Ukraine thanks to the efforts of school pupils in Warwick and the generosity of the wider community.

Pupils from King’s High and Warwick School, in the Warwick Independent Schools Foundation, took delivery of the two ambulances – that have been decommissioned from the NHS – outside Warwick School.

The ambulances are being refitted with blue lights and other necessary equipment, before being loaded with medical supplies, and setting off for Ukraine.

Warwick School pupil Josh Turner said: “We are really pleased with the success we have had with our most recent charity appeal for Ukraine.

"Following an initial project, when we raised £11,000 for UNICEF’s emergency appeal, we set out to raise £5,000 to buy an ambulance to send to Ukraine.

"This project focused around a 20 mile walk, and was inspired by our Head of Politics, Mr Jefferies’ charity walks to raise funds for Kosovo refugees, more than 20 years ago.

“We would like to thank the 40 staff and pupils who gave up their Sundays to support this initiative.

Examining the interior of an ambulance, which will be packed with medical supplies. Photo supplied

“I am really pleased to say that thanks to the generosity of the wider Foundation community, we not only achieved the original target of £5,000, but doubled it, raising more than £10,000 – which meant we were able to buy two ambulances, which we hope will help make a difference to people in Ukraine.”

The ambulances will start their journey to Ukraine shortly.

Working alongside the EmbraceMe Foundation, which teams with volunteers in Ukraine to co-ordinate urgent humanitarian assistance to orphanages, schools and hospitals, pupils will receive reports of the ambulances’ progress, and track their journey across Europe to Ukraine.

Together with the schools’ two ambulances, King’s High pupils decided to donate all funds they raised from a ‘well-being fair’, that was part of the school’s recent Festival of Wellbeing, to Medics to Medics Warwickshire.

One of the ambulances, decommissioned from the NHS. Photo supplied

They are a team of three Warwickshire paramedics, who have worked together for more than 20 years, who have been raising money to fund lifesaving medical supplies – tourniquets, bandages, pain relief – and driving supplies to the Ukraine border, to deliver to frontline medics.

On their most recent trip, they handed over 1,000Kg of vital supplies.