Dr Anatoliy Telpov, an Emergency Department doctor at South Tyneside District Hospital, has teamed up with local boxing clubs and FSNE Medical Group to send two frontline ambulance vehicles and a 17-seat minibus to Ukraine.

Now living in Whitley Bay but originally from Ivano-Frankivsk in Western Ukraine, Dr Telpov has already made several trips to deliver ambulances personally from the UK to the Polish border, where they are handed over to Ukrainian military representatives. Telpov said:

“This project focuses on getting evacuation vehicles directly to frontline brigades and hospitals. The aim is to create an efficient chain so that wounded soldiers can be quickly evacuated and reach medical care faster. The vehicles we’ve supplied over the past few years have already saved many lives – soldiers who might otherwise have died from their injuries. We know these vehicles make a real difference.”

The latest delivery includes three vehicles:

• A fully equipped frontline ambulance destined for a military hospital.
• A Land Rover 4×4 ambulance going to a frontline brigade.
• A 17-seat minibus provided by Empire School of Boxing in Blyth, which will be used to move personnel and supplies near the front line.

Donations

FSNE Medical, led by Craig and Melissa Douglas, has donated the two ambulance vehicles. The company previously supported Telpov’s efforts by funding earlier deliveries and vehicle costs.

“This will be the third and fourth vehicle we’ve donated,” said Craig Douglas, Director of FSN Medical based at Blyth.

“We’ve built a great relationship with Anatoliy and believe strongly in what he’s doing to help people on the front line. The ambulance is a full NHS-spec vehicle with all the essential equipment, and the Land Rover 4×4 will help reach patients in hard-to-access areas.”

Margaret Welsh from Empire School of Boxing in Blyth has also played a key role, donating the club’s own minibus – filled with vital supplies.

“The bus is packed with medical supplies, baby items, nappies, food, socks – anything we could think of that might help,” said Margaret.

“Our bus is due to be replaced and we decided we could pass this on to people who need it far more than we do. The people of Blyth and the wider community have really got behind this, with donations coming from other local charities and supporters.”

Another supporter, Paul Lysaght from Durham Boxing Charity ‘Go the Distance’, raised almost £3,000 at a fundraising boxing show earlier this year, along with additional crowdfunding.

“We’ve used the funds to buy sleeping bags and other supplies for the trip to Ukraine,” said Paul. “It’s been amazing to see the boxing community come together for such an important cause.”

Other supporters include Irene and Dzmitry Babrovich who helped financially to fix the Land Rover ambulance and bought two large boxes of sleeping bags for the frontline brigades. The vehicles are being driven to Ukraine by Ronnie Kane and Daniel Chapman from North East Ambulance Service and Callum Garton from FSNE. The trio of help from the boxing fraternity was completed by Dean Preston of Mardem Boxing Club.

Telpov added that every vehicle is tracked to ensure it reaches its intended destination, with Ukrainian national television also covering the deliveries to raise awareness and encourage further support.

“It’s important that people see what’s being done – not just here in the UK but across Europe,” he said. “Every donation, every vehicle, brings us closer to saving lives and, ultimately, to peace.”

This article is based on a press release from Highlights PR.