Glasgow student buys ambulance for Ukraine relief effort
Umran Ali Javaid bought the vehicle for £2,500.
A Glasgow Caledonian University student has bought an ambulance and will drive it to the Polish-Ukrainian border tomorrow to help refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.
Umran Ali Javaid will hand it over to a charity in Poland after buying the vehicle for £2,500 here in the UK.
He said: "One ambulance can only help a few hundred people but there are tens of thousands in need.
"It is heartbreaking to see what is happening over there.
"The ambulance can be used to transport disabled people, older people, or can be filled up with medical supplies.
"In war, it's always the innocent civilians that suffer.
"I feel as if I have to do something to help."
The 3.5-tonne vehicle was bought in Newcastle and was previously used as a patient transport service for patients in the north of England.
Umran plans to fill it with aid when he arrives at the Medyka border crossing in mainland Europe this weekend.
The third year undergrad student added: "I have travelled a lot and I've seen the impact war has on civilians first-hand.
"At times of crisis, these areas need supplies and they need patient transport."
Umran and his family, who live in the west end of Glasgow, funded the cost of the ambulance themselves.
The planned route includes a ferry crossing from Newcastle to the Netherlands, Germany, then Poland.
Dr Pauline Bell, senior lecturer in fashion and marketing at GCU and one of Umran's tutors, said: "Umran is a remarkable, unassuming young man who is an inspiration to others.
"He thinks little of using his spare time to help others and embarking on incredible journeys to deliver ambulances to people in need."