OUR STORY...
ambulances4ukraine.com is merely a website, used as a platform to inform people of our intention, raise funds, donations and to keep a record of all our journeys out to Ukraine. We do not have charitable status, it is simply Iain Gordon and myself, Andrew Macdonald, both living in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, working as volunteers, paying our own expenses and doing whatever we can to ease the suffering of those in many of the worse affected regions of war torn Ukraine.
We do this because neither of us can sit and watch the news coming out of Ukraine and do nothing. We feel we are morally obliged to do whatever we can and, having been there so many times, we feel we cannot stop, nor will, until long after this terrible war is over. The need is too great.
We have received a lot of help from mechanics and the like, as well as many donations from the NHS and ambulance services and funds from the public and organisations. We estimate that between us we have collected or donated around £60,000 in the last three years, which has resulted in over £350,000 worth of vehicles, medical equipment and supplies as well as other humanitarian aid. So roughly every £1 donated has resulted in £6 of aid.
Having worked together for some time we now recognise each others strengths and very much rely on this to constantly increase our aid donations. Iain’s past career as a long distance HGV driver and now as a volunteer NHS driver has held him in good stead to find vehicles and arrange any maintenance and/or repairs prior to our journeys, as well as being able to cope with the vast amount of EU and other paperwork and all the bookings online. His NHS and Ambulance Service contacts have led to an enormous amount of donations. Meanwhile, myself as a former printer now retired, I have been able to increase funding through sales of cards and prints at fairs, contacting businesses and charitable foundations and giving talks. I believe that awareness of the war and how it affects everyday people is also an important part of our work.
Just as our success in the past, our future work is directly reliant on the amount of funds raised. We have the organisational skills to deliver the right equipment and aid to where it is needed most, but constantly require funding to do so.
IAIN GORDON
My first trip was March 2022 as part of a Humanitarian convoy as a driver.
My first solo trip was in May-June 2022 going out with an ambulance response vehicle and trailer full of medical supplies for a children’s hospital. I then spent 6 days at the Ukraine-Poland border helping refugees at the aid tents and sleeping in the car at night. I then collected 3 individual refugees and took them on a 4 day drive to Southern Ireland where they still remain.
During 2022 I did a further 3 trips with another ambulance car and two 4x4 cars. It was in August 2022 I did my first trip to Kharkiv and saw the level of death and destruction this country was enduring. It also scared the life out of me because I was right in the thick of it.
2023 saw me embark on another 5 trips out in total with everything from a full A&E ambulance to 4x4`s and a commercial van. I have also delivered large amounts of aid to Vinnytsia early on, before concentrating on Kharkiv.
In all my trips I have carried a variety of aid from medical supplies & equipment to adult clothing, children`s clothing & toys, sanitary & hygiene products, amongst other things.
In 2023 I took out a Human Rights Lawyer from Edinburgh, who then jumped on her pushbike and cycled back from Ukraine to Edinburgh to raise money for a charity.
I once took out a journalist who only made it half way into the trip before giving up and returning home. In 2025 I took out a musician who performed for the elderly, the sick and for children at pre arranged locations, together with 30 musical instruments which were donated to schools.
2024 saw me complete a further 5 trips out with a variety of vehicles and aid as I ventured further afield to include Zaporizhia and Sumy, vehicles included another ambulance and a variety of disability minibuses for hospitals, schools and communities.
2025 has seen me complete a further 6 trips mostly to Kharkiv with other drops in Irpin, Kyiv, Poltava and others. Again mostly medical but also a large amount of aid for civilians and the orphans I have supported since 2023. All my trips until 2024 were solo but during part of 2024 and 2025 I have been accompanied by others.
It was in late 2024, after 16 trips and 14 vehicles and aid delivered, that I teamed up with Andy and we started going out together and taking 2 vehicles at a time. The result was that by December 2025 we had delivered another 9 vehicles full of aid. The total vehicles donated now stands at 23 and counting.
Since I started I have made some wonderful contacts in Ukraine from top military and health care people to education, charity and volunteers. This helps with all my trips as they know me and trust me and I get access to places others would not to help me deliver what is required to the right people in the right places at the right time.
Many times I have had to wear body armour as protection very close to front lines where the aid was being distributed. I have also been in areas during attacks by rockets, drones and ballistic missiles on many occasions but this is needed if you want to deal directly with the people affected.
I take pride in the fact that ALL my aid has been delivered personally by me and not left at any warehouse or with a third party.
ANDREW MACDONALD
In the last two years before my retirement I raised funds by selling my company published Christmas cards and prints through 30 outlets which I was already supplying. This resulted in almost £5,000 raised, enough to buy my first ex-ambulance to take to Ukraine.
It was at this time I met Iain Gordon, without whose help I would have had serious problems. He came out with me on the first trip, shared the driving and navigating the route to Sumy. He helped find medical aid, prepared and explained all the paperwork required and did all the ferry, hotel, train and plane bookings.
Whilst there Iain saw an advertisement for a Ford Kuga 4x4 which was local to us. On our return I bought this from the mechanic whom has since helped us with all our vehicles at little or no charge. I followed Iain in his minibus full of donated clothes and musical instruments on our next trip in this 4x4, carrying many bags of clothing and a replacement engine for a van Iain had delivered two years prior. Within a day the Ukrainian mechanics had the old engine out, the replacement one in and had it running perfectly.
For the next trip I went solo, driving a donated 4x4 full of clothing to a village community near Kharkiv, then joined Iain on our next joint trip to Kharkiv and surrounding area, delivering a fire van and another 4x4.
In just two weeks I did talks and fairs which raised almost £4,000, which was enough to purchase an ambulance and 4x4. I was supposed to go out again with these, but I was still recovering from recent surgery on the departure date. Iain stepped up to the mark and did both journeys. But I did not remain idle, I spent my house-bound time looking for further donations, gave a few talks, sold a few items and managed to raise over £8,000 in just two months.
This has contributed towards the 3 vehicles we now have ready to go out in early 2026, including purchases, any mechanical work, new tyres and batteries and all the costs of taking them out to Kharkiv.
The one thing that struck me most on all my journeys, besides how skilful, hard working, brave and determined the Ukrainian people are and how grateful for any aid, was how happy they were to see people from other countries helping them. This increased their morale as what it means to them is that they are not alone and others are thinking of them.
Having made many friends in Ukraine, I will not only continue taking out vehicles and aid, but also major on publicity, awareness and fund raising for this cause. I cannot foresee a time when some sort of assistance will not be needed, certainly not until well after this terrible war is finally over and Ukraine has the security needed to ensure its independence.
I will keep adding posts on this website - for all to view and stay aware of the situation in Ukraine.