Bishop Monkton is known for a lot of things. It has a thriving community, is a friendly and kind place to live with many of its residents quietly helping and supporting others, not only in their own village but also across many parts of the world.

One such resident is Dan Wright, who has lived in the village for 23 years with his wife, Nikki. He has recently returned from a second humanitarian trip to Ukraine delivering an ambulance filled with equipment to help in the country's fight against Russia. Travelling across Europe and crossing the Ukrainian border to reach L'viv, 43 miles from the Polish border, was a journey of 1350 miles undertaken over three,16 hour days. “It was brutal”, says Dan.

He was one of a team of 16 people (two co-drivers per vehicle) who drove eight ambulances in convoy to deliver much needed, vitally critical, emergency medical equipment (not medicines) for those who have been injured on the battlefields. Supplies that include such items as stretchers, respiratory kits, tourniquets, bandages, airway tubes and ventilators. In fact, anything that could help the troops on the front lines as the ready availability of medical supplies can reduce the number of battlefield deaths by between 20 and 25%. In Dan's mission 12 tons of medical supplies were delivered, each ambulance transporting about 1.5 tons of equipment.

Dan is part of the charity Help2Ukraine (East Riding) set up to help Ukraine 's war effort and started by a long term family friend, a former Lieutenant in the Prince of Wales regiment, who lives in a small village outside Beverley. In conversation with a Ukrainian refugee family shortly after the war started, the question was asked "What do the Ukrainian people need"? The answer - medical supplies and so evolved Help2Ukraine, a group made up of ex-service personnel-Dan served in the Royal Corps Signal. The funds that the charity raise help purchase ex NHS ambulances that have been “retired” having reached in excess of 200,000 miles on the clock.

These ambulances are then made ready for use again. On the first mission in December 2023 four vehicles set off, while on the second trip in June 2024 and again on this, the third trip, eight made the journey (four from the East Riding and four from Suffolk). All the equipment is donated for free by a firm who purchase out of stock NHS medical stocks. Amazingly, given how much these trips help with the Ukrainian war effort, it only costs about £3-£4k to send each ambulance, which covers the purchase of the vehicle, buys fuel and insurances and provides overnight accommodation. As Dan says “Old ambulances are very cheap to buy”.

Once the ambulances have crossed the border posts and entered Ukraine, a process which can take up to five hours, the ambulances are left behind. On the first trip two of the vehicles were on their way to the front line while the drivers were still in the car park where the hand over had taken place. The drivers are taken by mini-bus back to Krakow to start their homeward journey. Dan got back home after a flight to Leeds/Bradford, having been away for six days.

The drop off point for the ambulances and equipment is far removed from those areas of Ukraine where the war is being fought, about the same distance across Ukraine as it was from Rotterdam to L'viv. Nonetheless evidence of a country at war is everywhere. In L'viv although there has not been much damage, many buildings and churches are boarded up or sandbagged, windows are blacked out and there is a midnight curfew. On many squares in the city there is a collage of faces with names of those who have died and in every Ukrainian village or town there are poignant memorials to the fallen, often individually marked by a national flag. This, said Dan, touched him deeply.

The final words, however, should belong to Dan. “I get a great sense of pride being involved in these trips. It is like David helping Goliath without pulling a trigger or dropping a bomb.”

The village is proud of him.

If you would like to donate some money to help support the charity that then may allow for another trip to be planned then visit its GoFund page click