The Severn Valley Railway’s paint shop at Bridgnorth had an unusual visitor recently, in the form of a Mitsubishi 4x4 pickup. The SVR was assisting a local charity, Wyre Forest 2 Ukraine, with their efforts in sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The charity recently purchased a second-hand Mitsubishi 4x4 pickup truck. Volunteers have converted it to become a front-line ambulance. The vehicle needed repainting in matt black to camouflage it when in service. The SVR stepped in to help, and volunteer staff prepared and painted it, ready for its new role in Ukraine.

Bewdley-based Wyre Forest 2 Ukraine have been supporting the Ukrainian people with deliveries of humanitarian aid since the Russian invasion in 2022. Several of their members have also hosted Ukrainian refugees in their homes. They have so far raised over £10,000 for aid items, including generators, battery-powered lamps, and medical items, including handheld scanners to help frontline medics to locate shrapnel in casualties.

The charity will be equipping the ambulance with stretchers, lights and other equipment for its new role, saving lives in the northeast of Ukraine. In the coming weeks, volunteers from the charity will load the finished vehicle with essential aid items and drive it to Ukraine.

There is a list of urgently needed items on the group’s Facebook page.