Manchester-based charity The Skipasund Foundation has donated more than £1m of PPE to support international aid efforts in Ukraine following its invasion by Russia.
More than 220,000 protective suits, which have been provided free of charge by the UK’s leading PPE manufacturer Globus Group, have been delivered to humanitarian campaign hubs on Ukraine’s borders with Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania thanks to the donation by the foundation, which has been established by Globus Group founder and CEO Haraldur Agustsson.
Between 10 May and 1 June, a staggered convoy of six trucks carrying a total of 293 pallets of protective suits weighing 240kg each left Globus Group’s headquarters at T2 in Trafford, taking the donated equipment on the 1,800 mile road trip to the Ukrainian border. The last truck to make the three-day journey to deliver the vital PPE to border hubs arrived on 6 June.
The equipment has been transported thanks to the generous support of four UK and European haulage firms: Currie Solutions, Eurosonix, Cardinal Global Logistics and WCL.
The donated equipment is being held at the border hubs ready to be delivered into the warzone when needed for use by frontline workers including aid workers, medical teams, reconstruction crews and others working on the ground. The first consignment has already been delivered into Ukraine.
Haraldur Agustsson, founder of the Skipasund Foundation and Globus Group CEO said: “Nobody following the situation in Ukraine could fail to be moved by the appalling suffering we’ve seen unfolding on our TV screens every day. We just wanted to make the most practically useful contribution to the humanitarian aid effort we could. For us that had to be donating high-quality protective equipment to help support the amazing efforts of frontline workers.”
Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK, said: “I’d like to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the Skipasund Foundation and to Globus Group for their generous donation of vital equipment which will help to keep those working on the ground in Ukraine protected. As the war continues it’s crucial that we keep supplies of kit and other aid coming and get it into the hands of those that need it as quickly as possible.”
