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Charity highlights ongoing needs in Ukraine
Hope and Aid Direct, a UK-based charity, has called for sustained donations to Ukraine, warning that the humanitarian crisis persists despite shifting global attention to the Middle East.
Decade of aid efforts
Founded over 25 years ago, the Ingatestone-based organization has delivered 500 trucks of supplies to conflict zones, including the Balkans, Gaza, and Calais. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its focus has narrowed to the war-torn country, dispatching 102 trucks carrying 620 tonnes of critical goods.
Essential supplies delivered
The charity's shipments include hospital beds, medical equipment, 50 generators, 1,500 fire extinguishers, and over 5,000 high-visibility clothing items for emergency responders clearing debris from drone and missile strikes. Corporate donors, such as Premier Inn, have contributed mattresses during hotel refurbishments.
"If you've lost your home and everything, you need everything again," said founder Charles Storer MBE.
Charles Storer, Hope and Aid Direct
Funding challenges amid rising costs
Donations have declined due to the UK's cost-of-living crisis, while operational expenses have climbed. The charity relies on commercial trucks returning empty from the UK to Ukraine, but fuel price hikes linked to the Middle East conflict have increased transport costs.
Storer warned that higher expenses would require greater public support to maintain aid deliveries. "We'll keep sending supplies, but we'll need more donations to cover the rising costs," he told the BBC.
Search for permanent base
After relocating from Basildon to a farm near Chelmsford, the charity faces another move in June as the land is repurposed for grain storage. Storer is seeking a long-term warehouse but estimates rental costs at £15,000-£20,000 annually-a burden for the all-volunteer organization.
"We could scale up dramatically with our own space. Having a five-year lease would be transformative," he said.
Recent milestone
The charity dispatched its 102nd truck to Ukraine on April 30, reaffirming its commitment despite financial pressures.
