ARMY veterans are calling on your help to support them as they take a little Christmas cheer to children in Ukraine.
It is the 21st support trip of the military foursome Charlie, Puggy, Stig and Griff and it has all been made possible with the help of people in Dunoon and the North East of England.
Now they’re seeking your backing again as they continue to shine a light where skies have darkened since the Russian invasion of February 2022.
Chris North (known affectionately as Puggy) told this newspaper it’s time to focus on Christmas presents for boys and girls and food for their families, all living on the front line.
They have just completed the delivery of an ambulance they bought at an auction in Wales. They paid for it using residue funds raised over the years plus table-top sales and a sponsored run of the West Highland Way by Puggy. That is the equivalent of a marathon a day.
The ambulance is now in service along the front line in Donetsk Oblast (Region).
In their latest plan to support the people of Ukraine, Puggy and Jim intend to set off on October 20 for the 3,000 mile round trip to the Ukraine/Poland
border. It will take about five days to complete, sailing from Hull to Rotterdam, driving through The Netherlands, Germany and Poland. Along the route they will meet up with friends and supporters they have made over the many trips.
Chris said: “We’ll meet with Ukrainian aid and charity workers near the Polish-Ukrainian border in a small town called Cieszanow. They are very appreciative of the support given and of the aid donated, it means so much to them that we keep returning to them with aid as they often feel as if the war in Ukraine has been forgotten by the rest of Europe.”
They are putting out a shoebox appeal for Children’s Christmas Gifts (please mark gifts as ‘M’ or ‘F’ and an age if relevant) and are also calling for assistance with travel costs. The journey is around £500 for the return ferry. Their fuel and associate travel costs of the 3,000 mile round trip fromDunoonisabout£1,350. Donations can be made by PayPal to chrisnorth69@live. co.uk or contact Puggy by email at chrisnorth69@live.
co.uk or call 0782 6262262. Based in Innellan, Chris is no stranger to providing overseas aid to people in need and drawing from his 20 years in the military, he is only too aware of the potential hazards that lie ahead.
It is also an enormously emotional connection between the group and many people in Ukraine.
Chris said: “We get great satisfaction doing our little bit. We all vowed to continue foraslongaswecanorforas long as help is needed. The trips are like an emotional rollercoaster, the planning and fundraising is quite stressful and we regularly have to top up the funds ourselves.
“We understand that times are hard for everyone and we are finding this aspect more difficult every trip but we continue to be very grateful to everyone who supports us and makes the trips possible.”
He reveals the return journey often leaves the group “on a low, often feeling that we should do more, make more trips, do more to spread the word”.
