Mid Sussex group heads to Ukraine with pick-up trucks as part of an ambitious humanitarian mission

Matt Dobbs, 49, from Slaugham, Simon Manning, 50, from Balcombe, and Ed Bentley, 50, are part of a small team leaving the district on Wednesday, April 19, to deliver three pick-up trucks, vehicle spares and generators to the country.

Matt told the Middy that the trip is part of a wider humanitarian mission called Pick Ups For Peace, which has delivered 45 pickups to Ukraine over the past two months.

“The idea came up in January,” said Matt, who works as a vet specialising in farm animals.

He said he was speaking to a friend with farming and family ties to Ukraine about the ‘horrendous’ situation there and its impact on ordinary people. He said they agreed on how passionate Ukraine had been at resisting the Russian invasion and felt compelled to help. They then realised that those helping in Ukraine needed four-wheel drive vehicles to evacuate people, get the injured away from the front and deliver medical supplies.

So they committed themselves to providing 100 vehicles and set up Pick Ups For Peace, using their contacts in the farming industry for support.

Matt said: “The first cohort of trucks went out at the end of February, 23 trucks went out at the end of March, we’ve got more than 30 going out in April, and then there’s another cohort in May when there’s another 30 or 40 going out.”

The trucks will then be ‘kitted up’, camouflaged, put on a train and used indefinitely in the area.

Matt said his current small group for this week’s trip was formed by friends in the region who wanted to help.

He explained that Pick Ups For Peace has raised most of the required funds. Be he added: “We’d still like to raise a bit more for this particular mission. We’ve actually had some semi-donated trucks for a future mission contingent on us raising a little bit more money, so we are still actively fundraising.”

Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/p4p-edward-bentley. To get involved or donate equipment email [email protected].

Pick Ups For Peace is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).

Group member Ed said: “We are hugely grateful to those who have donated money and equipment to support this mission.”