Bus field hospital created in Swindon for Ukraine handed over

By Barrie Hudson barrie@positive-media.co.uk

Representatives of Swindon Humanitarian aid Partnership (SHAP) and Swindon’s Bus Company met in Westminster for a poignant ceremony.

They officially donated a bus which has been converted into a field hospital and is destined for Ukraine.

The bus was handed over to His Excellency Vadym Prystiako, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom.

Those present included SHAP chair Mike Bowden, Swindon’s Bus Company managing director Andrew Wickham and Christian Schreyer, chief executive of The Go-Ahead Group, which owns Swindon’s Bus Company.

Mr Bowden said: “SHAP was formed when Russia first invaded Ukraine. A small group of local peopleUkrainian, Polish, Lithuanian and British - met to learn about the desperate situation many in Ukraine found themselves in. We all wanted to ‘do something’ and the seeds of SHAP were planted.

“Since then, we have delivered hundreds of tonnes of aid to either the Poland/Ukraine border or into central and eastern Ukraine.

“We’ve also been providing extensive support to refugee visitors arriving here.

“All of our work is carried out by volunteers and relies upon donations from generous companies and individuals. With such a dire situation happening right now on the ground in Ukraine, the country is in need of mobile field hospitals to aid the recovery of civilians, and those risking their lives to defend their homeland.

“We are indebted to Swindon’s Bus Company for the donation of a bus that allowed a group of committed local volunteers to convert a standard public service bus into a mobile medical facility for use in Ukraine.

“It is hard to comprehend what our Ukrainian friends are having to endure but in the best British tradition all we can do is support them with all our might.”

More information about SHAP can be found at shapuk.org and about Swindon’s Bus Company at swindonbus.co.uk