Lochailort to Ukraine

Iain Ferguson Towards the end of last year Jan and John launched a campaign to collect clothes, food and life saving equipment for the people of Ukraine, which they went on to personally deliver directly to where it was needed. The generosity of Lochaber provided £12,500 worth of aid which made the 2,500 mile journey to the war-torn region.

Former policeman John also happens to be a member of the International Police Association and this link enabled him to cut through a lot of red tape in gaining access to Ukrainian authorities who authorised himself and Jan to access sites inside the country.

Even before this they faced major problems in getting a suitable vehicle to carry the load and required tremendous tenacity to weld and repair their old MOT failure of a van to breathe new life into it for the trip.

On reaching Ukraine they were given a uniformed soldier each day guiding them as they distributed lifesaving food and aid to the children and families most desperately in need.

John said: “Driving in the worst winter conditions when the cold grips your inner core, the air raids sirens scream across town. The lights go out, all lights, plunging the city deep into darkness, then the sound of a drone and an explosion in the distance.’

“Despite this we carried on meeting women with children who had walked for hours to meet with us for a plastic bag of simple food and warm baby clothing. Tears of gratitude often followed. It’s hard to comprehend the hardship as we felt cold in a heated van. They had nothing as the temperature dropped below minus eight degrees. No child should suffer in this way”.

On returning home their first thought was the need to get back with more aid by appealing once again to the people of Lochaber who helped so much in making the visit possible.

“Instead of resting, the guys on the front line rotated to help provide aid,” said Jan: “They were so incredibly grateful to Scotland for helping. We need to get back as the desperation just gets worse as winter sets in.

“However, amidst all this, it made me smile when a siren bellowed out and an old lady looked up, flapped her arm in the direction of the drone and shouted ‘Just go away’.” If you can help in any way please go to: www.Kirstyskids.org to find out more.

LOCHAILORT TO UKRAINE – AND BACK!

Lochailort couple Jan and John Bryden, founders of the much loved ‘Kirsty’s Kids’ Charity which offers free respite care to families badly affected by illness, have further extended their assistance to those caught up in the war against Ukraine.