Devon men help 70 Ukrainian refugees

They drive 3,500 miles

Two Devon men have travelled to Poland to help more than 70 refugees from the Ukrainian crisis gain safe passage.

Tim Flint and Henry Irvine headed to the Polish/Ukraine border earlier this month, and have subsequently raised £25,000 to help people affected by the war.

Having flown to Warsaw and collected food, blankets and medicines, they made their way to Dorohusk, a border crossing where they had already made contact with an official.

There they collected their first family and drove them several hours to a host family before spending a week driving primarily to and from Chełm train station to Warsaw, providing onward transport, accommodation, clothing, food and even in some cases flights, to ensure that families can get to safety.

They helped more than 70 refugees, and drove almost 3,500 miles in the process.

Tim Flint and Henry Irvine in Poland (courtesy: South Dartmoor Community College)

In a statement, they said: "The exhaustion and desperation etched on faces crossing the border from Ukraine to Poland will live with us forever, as will the stories shared.

"To have the opportunity to play a very small part in easing the burden of this awful situation for some and in the process seeing tears of gratitude, smiles on children’s faces, glimmers of hope for the future and making friends for life has been a great privilege. We hope, if nothing else, that our updates have added a human element to this crisis."

Tim said: "We are not a charity or business, just two people who are taking unpaid time off work and are desperate to help out in this awful situation. I am a self employed father of two small children, I build furniture from reclaimed wood. Henry works for a large charity. The situation in Eastern Europe has deeply affected us and we wished to do our part to help."

If you would like to help further by making a donation, go to: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ukraine-refugees---a-safe-passage