Stranraer man plans aid run to Ukraine
He has already made 16 humanitarian trips in the last three years.
A Stranraer man is appealing for donations to help get his van – which is loaded with vital supplies – over to Ukraine.
Next month, Iain Gordon and his friend Andy MacDonald from Kirkcudbright hope to drive across and help medical responders in the war-torn country, some as close as 9 kilometres away from the Russian border.
During his time there, he will also be visiting camps and orphanages as close as 9km away from the Russian border.
This isn’t his first time making the journey over to the far Eastern side of Ukraine with various supplies such as 4x4 vehicles, ambulances, medical equipment and clothing; he has already made 16 humanitarian trips in three years.
So far, his GoFundMe page has attracted just over £200 – the target is £1,300.
All proceeds raised will go towards covering the cost of making sure his van, which is already full and ready to go, is safe to hit the road and is mechanically sound.
Gordon says every penny goes a long way: “I hate asking people a second or third time, but unfortunately, Andy and I have both spent a lot of money out of our own pockets. There has to be a limit; we don’t have endless amounts of cash, so this is why we need all the help from the public we can get.”
The pair of them has covered all other costs for this 2,000-mile-plus journey.
He adds that donors can see how their money is spent by checking out his social media.
“Everything I do, while I’m there especially, is documented on Facebook with lots of pictures and a description, so anyone who donates has full access to find out where money has been spent and who it has been spent on.”
He tells us how he is preparing for his trip: “I take so many different clothes for winter and summer, I take household items like washing powder and washing up liquid, shampoo, I take medical supplies. Just anything that is on their need list.”
The duo will begin their trek on May 18.