Couple 'humbled' by Ukrainian Christmas trip

A couple have taken humanitarian aid from Kirklees to Ukraine as part of a group of Yorkshire volunteers.

Kirklees councillor Tim Bamford and his wife Tina, who is a parish councillor, travelled across Ukraine as part of Yorkshire Aid Convoy's tenth mission since the Russian invasion in 2022.

Mr Bamford said it was his eighth visit delivering aid, while it was his wife's first time in the country.

She said it was "a very humbling, emotional, experience".

Mr Bamford said they had visited a military hospital, a care home, an orphanage and a children's rehabilitation centre to distribute gifts and vital supplies.

"The visits offered not only material support but also a message of solidarity and hope to communities affected by the ongoing conflict," he said.

"One of the orphanages that we visited last Christmas was struck by two missiles last month, this, sadly, is the nature of this conflict. No one is safe."

Local Democracy Reporting Service, almost 60 truckloads of humanitarian aid have been delivered as of March this year.

The most recent visit was organised to spread festive cheer on St. Nicholas Day, 6 December, the day on which children are brought presents in the country.

The couple visited a "very run-down" care home housing elderly and disabled residents, displaced by the fighting in the east, a military hospital in Uzhhorod, and an orphanage in Velykyi Bereznyi.

Mr Bamford said: "They are doing a great job in very difficult circumstances.

"The children put on a Christmas show for us. They had learned Christmas songs in English and sang them perfectly, then presented us all with baubles from the Christmas tree they had made, with photographs inside from our last visit."

The councillor, who represents Denby Dale on Kirklees Council, said they had handed out bags with books, toys and sweets and Christmas cards made by pupils of St Aidan's School in Skelmanthorpe.

"One particularly tearjerking moment was when a small boy approached us and offered us one of his sweets back if we would stay another day.

"We also distributed knitted clothing and teddies made by residents from the Denby Dale Ward, which were very gratefully received."

During the visit Mr and Mrs Bamford met soldiers with "lifechanging injuries" and took them toiletries, food and treats.

He said: "It was incredibly moving to see the resilience of the people we met, especially the children.

"Being part of this convoy has been an inspiring experience, and we are proud to support Yorkshire Aid Convoy's vital work."

Yorkshire Aid Convoy is a grassroots charity formed in 2002 to distribute humanitarian aid to The Ukraine and Romania.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.