This month, our technical and compliance director, Fiona Tait shares an update on her recent charity drive to Ukraine.
In October, Fiona joined a remarkable effort led by Phil Billingham, director at Perceptive Planning, to deliver a van full of essential aid to those affected by the ongoing crisis.
Read on to find out more.
A last-minute change of plans gave Fiona an incredible opportunity to support British-Ukraine Aid
We all like to think we would do good deeds given the chance, but it’s easy to put such things off when we’re wrapped up in everyday life.
So, I consider myself extremely fortunate that the perfect opportunity dropped into my life at exactly the right time.
My Twitter-mate, (I know it’s “X-mate” now, but that just doesn’t sound right), Phil Billingham and his wife Shannon, have been doing sterling work raising funds for Ukraine over the last two years.
There is a current need for vehicles to assist with the safe evacuation and transportation of the injured – including children, women, and the elderly – as well as medical personnel, and aid, to areas in urgent need.
Phil was all set to drive a van to Ukraine that was due to be scrapped under the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) requirements. However, his co-driver had to drop out at short notice.
I had a few days’ holiday due and considerable experience of long-distance motorway driving, so I thought, why not step up?
Day 1: The van was loaded by volunteers, and we travelled from Dover to Belgium
All set for the off!
The main reason for our drive to Ukraine was to deliver the van. Yet, as it was being driven over anyway, it made sense to fill it with useful donations.
The van was loaded by volunteers in Brighton and driven to Ebbsfleet where I joined it, after travelling down from Scotland via St Pancras.
We then drove down to Dover where we took the Channel Tunnel (my first time) to France, and then drove on to Aard in Belgium.
The first leg of our journey, from Ebbsfleet to Aard in Belgium
Everything went surprisingly smoothly at Dover. There was hardly any queue for the “chunnel”, and French customs waved us through pretty quickly after they x-rayed the van and were assured that we weren’t intending to drop a lot of random items in La Belle France.
Enjoying a delicious dinner at the end of day one
We had a fabulous meal of cold meats and cheese, plus some Belgian wine to toast the end of our successful first day.
Day 2: From Belgium to Germany
After an early start and judicious use of sticky tape to stop the mirror rattling, we set off towards Germany!
The second leg of our journey, from Belgium to Germany
Luckily, Phil had some sticky tape to hand! Bye bye rattling wing mirror
The road towards and around Antwerp was busy as expected. However, we soon reached and passed through Holland despite a French van driver trying, twice, to prove that two solid objects can exist in the same space – in this case, the same lane of the motorway!
I was interested to learn that German roadworks differ from those in Britain in two ways:
- They don’t cordon off several miles at a time, so the tailbacks are usually smaller.
- There are people actually working when you drive past.
In the evening we ate some fantastic Schnitzel and beer/wine in a traditional German bar.
Dinner at a traditional German bar
Day 3: From Germany to Poland
Day three turned out to be the hardest day.
Once over the Polish border, the motorway was clearly new and surprisingly empty, not to mention surrounded by beautiful woodland.
Leg 3: Germany to Poland
Unfortunately, this plain sailing didn’t last. Polish roadworks follow the same pattern as Britain – lots of them and endless queues.
One tailback, which lasted 45 minutes, turned out to be caused by just 20 meters of single-lane traffic due to new tolls being put in (although as they weren’t yet active, we at least didn’t have to pay for the privilege).
We were delighted to see that both German and Polish motorways have “wildlife bridges” that allow animals to cross from one side of the road to the other in complete safety. What a lovely idea!
A champagne dinner at the end of a hard day!
At the end of this long day, we were very ready for a delicious pasta meal with Shannon at Krakow Airport Hotel. The champagne and Polish wine was very welcome indeed!
Day 4: The flight home to Scotland
I took an early flight back to Scotland, while Phil and Shannon drove on to Ukraine’s border.
The final leg: my trip home
It feels really good to have done something for no other reason than to help other people.
Delivering a single van may not seem like much of a contribution, but British-Ukraine Aid has now transported 600 vehicles that would otherwise be scrapped, to somewhere they will be useful.
You can find out more, or make donations at www.british-ukrainianaid.org. Although my mission is complete, the charity is continuously seeking donations to fund future trips and deliveries.
Get in touch
As I learned from my trip to Ukraine, achieving a worthwhile result can take time and effort, and is often a result of doing little things consistently.
Likewise, achieving your long-term financial goals is more easily achieved by saving and investing less for a longer time, than relying on a windfall to help you later on.
If you’d like to know more about how we can help you plan for your financial future, please get in touch.
Email hello@intelligentpensions.com or call 0800 077 8807.
Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.