A rugged all-terrain wheelchair, once used on a pilgrimage through Somerset, has found a new purpose in war-torn Ukraine—accompanied by a donated ambulance packed with critical medical aid.
Two trustees from Festival Medical Services (FMS), a charity based in Somerton known for providing volunteer medics to the Glastonbury Festival, recently completed a remarkable 1,630-mile journey to deliver urgent supplies to Kyiv.
Retired paramedic Nich Woolf and First Response Emergency Carer Mark Aichroth drove the ambulance, purchased through fundraising efforts during the Modern Day Pilgrimage to Wells Cathedral. This event raised support for elderly and vulnerable people in Ukraine and involved former Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset Annie Maw, who used the all-terrain wheelchair on the walk from Bath Abbey to Wells.
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Inside the vehicle were 660 individual first aid kits (IFAKs), along with pulse oximeters, tourniquets, and other essential medical supplies sourced by FMS in collaboration with Medics4Ukraine and Reflex Medical.
Nich Woolf reflected on the resilience of the Ukrainian people: “Over the past year, their attitude has shifted—they are more confident and proud of what they’ve achieved. Despite increased air raids, people here have come to accept this as a new normal.”
The pair witnessed firsthand the impact of the conflict, attending a memorial parade in Lviv honoring an entire family lost to the war, where passersby stopped to pay their respects on the busy street.
In Kyiv, they also visited a memorial wall dedicated to those who have died in the conflict. Nich described it as “an overwhelming symbol of collective grief. This is the harsh reality of war.”