A KINDHEARTED cleaning company boss is driving over 1,400 miles to the border of Poland and Ukraine to deliver emergency supplies he has collected for refugees.
Steven Holmes is taking two of his vans filled with towels and blankets, as well as medical and hygiene products, for people who are fleeing the Russian invasion.
Over a million people are thought to have been forced from their homes by the war in eastern Europe, which has created a humanitarian crisis across the continent.
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The 36-year-old, from Croxdale, said: “We are going to be setting off from the North East and heading to the Ukraine border.
“It takes 24 hours driving non-stop so overall it is going to take three days.
“I am looking at getting back around Monday teatime.”
Steven, a father-of-three, leaves on Saturday with his friend, Jonathan Airey, and is meeting up with two other vans further down south before the convoy crosses the English Channel for France.
They are heading for Medyka where they will hand over the supplies to teams distributing them to people in need.
The supplies, including camping equipment, baby products, women’s sanitary, first aid kits and pet food, have been collected at Steven’s Orca Cleaning base in Ferryhill following an appeal he posted on Facebook earlier this week.
Steven said: “I was sitting watching everything that was going on.
“These guys have lost everything and they not have the opportunity to pop to the shops. I just wanted to do something I could to help.
“I am not someone who shies away from doing something.
“That is why I felt I would be able to do something. I just wanted to get on with it.”
Read more: Ukrainians at Durham University protest Russian invasion
Steven has also raised around £4,000 in donations from the community to pay for the fuel and channel crossings.
Anything left over will be used to buy food needed by refugees at local shops before they head home.
Steven said: “The response has been amazing. The hardest part of this is everything that has been happening in such a short space of time. “Every time I go to check my phone there is five or six messages to read, and I do not want to miss anything.
“Everyone just wants to do their bit to help.”
People have until 3pm on Friday to drop things off at the cleaning company in Ferryhill.
To find out how to donate, look Steven up on Facebook or contact his firm.
Read more: Ukrainian doctor in North East issues plea for supplies
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