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A Journey of Hope: Lockton RE – Mission to Ukraine

“Good things come to those who wait,” or at least that’s how the saying goes. What began as an idea almost 12 months ago flourished and came to a sensational finale a couple of weeks ago. A team of five from Lockton RE visited Medyka in Poland, utilizing funds raised by their colleagues at Lockton RE to support our aid effort in Ukraine.

It was a humid start at London Stansted Airport—not quite as humid as it would be later that day in Charleston, South Carolina. As our teams headed towards Poland from across the globe, Kaz, Alasdair, Henry & Nige, the dedicated team of volunteers and fundraisers from Lockton RE were also making their way to our HQ. Everything was crossed; there was no room for error – the trip was too short. It wasn’t a day for Ryanair to have delays or for ‘Weeeeeatherrrrr’ to stop play at a US airport.

At the same time, a larger and even more complex plan was being hatched, which you can read about in our next blog. For now, let’s focus on what was about to occur with the Lockton RE team, in a day of drama and elation.

Two days prior, after weeks of working and preparation, a 40-foot truck jam-packed with medical aid, rehabilitation equipment, hospital supplies, and animal food left Oslo in Norway. It had been hand-packed to the rafters by a team of volunteers we had never met, coordinated by Vegard S. and Sergii Z. from Den Ukrainske Forening i Norge (Ukrainian Association in Norway). Meticulous planning by Sergii ensured that the lorry would coincide with and arrive in time for our team from Lockton RE, no small feat.

The Lockton RE team congregated in Kraków, Poland on multiple flights as each of them finished their work commitments for the day. Simon, ABW co-founder, was the first to arrive at our HQ in Poland, with little time to prepare for the arrival of both the Lockton RE team and the events that would follow. If everything worked as scheduled and planned, the 40-foot truck from Oslo should arrive and be parked beside our warehouse overnight, ready to offload in the morning.   The scene was set – the curtain ready to rise – what could possibly go wrong?

At 5 a.m., the Lockton RE left Kraków to drive to Medyka, ready to offload the truck at 8 a.m. Meanwhile, Simon stared with a heavy heart at a very open space outside the warehouse where a truck should definitely be parked! Hardly the start we were hoping for.

It was also 5 a.m. in Norway, making it impractical to get hold of Sergii and the team. Was it going to be a train wreck before it even started? Had the Lockton RE team flown down from the UK in vain, only to be thwarted by a traffic jam, EU driving hours regulations or a blown-out tyre?

By 7:30 a.m., we had good news—the truck was on schedule for an 8:00 arrival. The Lockton RE team had made great time, arriving at 7:30 or shortly thereafter. After some quick introductions and a coffee, we got right to work.

Down at the warehouse, we began the all-important grunt work with the help of a local businessman, landlord and shopkeeper, Jacek, in Poland and his forklift truck. We unloaded part of the load that would stay in Poland to be distributed later. In its place, we added items already in our warehouse from previous donations that needed to find their way further into Ukraine. It was hot, humid, sweaty work, but as always, you dig deep and remember what you’re doing it for, and the guys from Lockton RE were no exception. They were exceptional ambassadors for their company, their families, and for the UK.

After some inventory work, unpacking and repacking, and communications with a shelter in Przemysl, we packed and loaded our Renault box van, affectionately named Belinda, and headed out to Hope Shelter in Przemysl. Jay Riviera and his team run this shelter and is the only remaining transit shelter currently operating on the Polish-Ukraine border—one hell of a responsibility.

It had been a long time since we had seen Jay, but he was as bright and passionate as ever, eager to share and showcase the work Hope continues to do, so amazingly well. He also introduced us to new ideas for projects supporting refugees within Ukraine. Thanks to Kaz, Aladair, Henry, and Nige, but just as importantly, the amazingly generous employees of Lockton RE, we were able to bring him much-needed equipment for one of his new projects, including kitchen equipment, freezers, washing machines, dryers, copiers, printers, heaters, and more.

In what was doubtless the most personal and heartwarming moment of the day, we visited the local cash and carry to collect fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat for the shelter. The gratitude from the residents of Hope Shelter and the staff, especially their chef, was immediately evident. The impact of the fundraising by Lockton RE was perfectly tangible in that moment.

Whilst on a practical level, this was beginning to wrap up the end of the whistle-stop trip, as we returned to HQ for coffee, lunch, and contemplation, we discussed how the funds provided by Lockton RE supported the delivery of the Norway aid. This contribution, in real terms, amounted to almost $250,000 worth of vital medical care equipment to Kuyalnyk community, near Podilsk in the Odessa oblast. Additionally, it gave immediate, practical, and personally evidenced support to Hope Shelter and left some extra funds to take further fresh fruit and vegetables to shelters in Ukraine, which we have been supporting since the beginning of the war, helping support those internally displaced families from across the country.

By 4 p.m., the Lockton RE team, Kaz, Aladair, Henry, and Nige was ready to leave, having spent a short but highly effective time with us. There was just time for them to meet the incoming team from Burlington, Vermont! They were here to celebrate the successful completion of their Sister City Project with Kuyalnyk village territorial community and to receive the HGV truck that had left Oslo two days previous and left the ABW & Lockton Team from Medyka only five hours previous —en route Podilsk! It was invigorating to see the energy in one room from so many people who had never met each other but were united by a common cause.

As TEAM LOCKTON RE began their journey back to Kraków for a very early morning flight, which would see them all back to work less than 24 hours after they had arrived at our HQ, we felt deeply indebted and exceptionally grateful. They facilitated such great work, were prepared to jump in and be hands-on, and got to see firsthand some of the tragic realities of the impact of the war in Ukraine.

Once again, thank you to the employees of Lockton RE for the support and donations you provided, to the team who were able to make the trip, and specifically to Dan and Anvar who didn’t make it this time, but have been the engine, the oil and the fuel for this project over the past year. Every single penny and dollar will be utilized to the best effect, and most importantly, for the people of Ukraine.

 If you’d like to follow along and catch the end of this story, stay tuned for our next blog, where we’ll share what happened next as the Lockton team heads back to London and the Burlington team, together with Travis and Simon’s team, heads for the Kuyalnyk community, near Podilsk in the Odesa oblast.

Finally a shoutout and thank you to Linda and Paracrew Humanitarian Aid for making these initial connections in Norway and assisting in the initial setup of this project.