Andrew has provided the following update on a project he is helping to support with the delivery of ambulances to Ukraine.
Andrew explained on Facebook:
I am so proud of this project we have been able to put together in just a matter of three weeks to ensure that Ukraine will be receiving ambulances, including armour plated ones, from right here in Goole!
This all came about following a call I received from a Ukrainian born British businessman who is also a good friend, asking me if there was anything I could do to help get ambulances for Ukraine as they are losing up to 10 per day.
I met with the Ukrainian Ambassador and Deputy Ambassador to discuss this in more detail and reached out to Oliver North, the CEO of Venari Group (O&H) based in Goole and who produce most of the UK's NHS ambulance.
From that first call with Oliver onwards, we then worked intensively over the past two weeks to put the project together, with Oliver and the whole team at Venari going way and beyond anything I ever expected.
We originally thought that we would try to put together a project to send standard ambulances, but Oliver identified some ex-UK military vehicles which could be converted into armour plated ambulances and larger volume ambulances. Sadly, with so many being lost every day, standard ambulances would have a very short shelf life.
We received the funding for the first batch last week, with the first vehicles arriving last Friday. Venari, who are doing all of this for no profit, then had their incredible team work round the clock to get the prototype worked up and the first ambulances are now in production!
With support from the Ukrainian Embassy, donors and UK Government we hope to have dozens more produced on top of the first 22 in production.
I am so proud of this project and of the amazing team at Venari here in Goole. Our town is stepping up to the challenge and every worker at Venari should be so proud of what they are doing.
This has been a really intense and emotional couple of weeks as we put this project together but I could not be prouder of what we have been able to deliver. It's all been a bit of a rollercoaster, but when you learn what the Russian military is doing in Ukraine, you can't help but want to do something to help.
Well done everyone, especially the incredible workers at Venari. Words cannot express how amazing they all are.
