THE SEVERN Valley Railway’s paint shop at Bridgnorth had an unusual visitor recently, in the form of a Mitsubishi 4×4 pick-up.
The SVR assisted the Wyre Forest 2 Ukraine charity with its efforts in sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
The charity recently purchased a second-hand Mitsubishi 4×4 pick-up truck.
Volunteers converted it into a frontline ambulance and needed repainting in matt black to camouflage it when in service.
SVR stepped in to help and volunteer staff prepared and painted it, ready for its new role in Ukraine.
SVR managing director, Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster, said: “We are very pleased to be able to assist Wyre Forest 2 Ukraine, a locally-based volunteer organisation doing great work for a humanitarian cause, which we fully support.
“Another link between us is that our long-standing volunteer Ian Latimer is also the current Mayor of Bewdley, and he has been closely involved with Wyre Forest 2 Ukraine.”
Humanitarian aid and housing refugees
Bewdley-based Wyre Forest 2 Ukraine has been supporting the Ukrainian people with deliveries of humanitarian aid since the Russian invasion in 2022. Several of its members have also hosted Ukrainian refugees in their homes.
They have so far raised more than £10,000 for aid items, including generators, battery-powered lamps and medical items. Among these have been handheld scanners to help frontline medics to locate shrapnel in casualties.
Wyre Forest 2 Ukraine chair Dr Brian Smith said: “We’re very grateful to the Severn Valley for their assistance with the ambulance.
“The camouflage colouring is invaluable, as even ambulances and medical staff are being targeted by the Russians in this brutal war.”
The charity will be equipping the ambulance with stretchers, lights and other equipment for its new role, saving lives in the northeast of Ukraine.
In the coming weeks, volunteers from the charity will load the finished vehicle with essential aid items and drive it to Ukraine.
Anyone wanting to help can visit: facebook.com/Wyreforest2Ukraine for a list of urgently needed items.
