THIS was the scene in Glasgow as a vital aid truck was being loaded with key supplies ready to set off for Ukraine.

It is the second truck load of essentials to head out from the city in just days as Glasgow’s humanitarian charity launched into immediate response mode – something they have become used to over the years.

Glasgow the Caring City have drawn on all their experience to respond to the growing refugee crisis due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and find themselves returning to a war zone once again.

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Loading the lorry as quickly as they could with the donations of soap from Queenslie-based Soapworks, it was ready to set off from Scotland later on Friday. The truck is due to reach Poland on Sunday and will then be driven over the border to Ukraine.

 

An aid lorry organised by Glasgow the Caring City with 47,000 bars of soap leaves the warehouse at Soapworks in the city heading for Ukraines refugees on the Polish border watched by the staff. Photo by Gordon Terris.

An aid lorry organised by Glasgow the Caring City with 47,000 bars of soap leaves the warehouse at Soapworks in the city heading for Ukraine's refugees on the Polish border watched by the staff. Photo by Gordon Terris.

 

There to meet it in Poland will be Ross Galbraith, the charity’s crisis resilience manager. He will be there on the ground to find out what exactly is needed and when and what they can do to help their partner aid agencies and partners.

As well as taking essential items of clothing and other supplies by lorry, the charity also set up a public fund this week. The response saw the smash their original target of £10,000 and they have now raised more than £20,000.

They believe one of the quickest ways to help the thousands of displaced families who have been forced to flee their homeland is to source items in neighbouring countries to get the aid to them sooner.

Among the items being shipped are some 30,000 'self-heating' flat pack meals, 10,000 litres of bottled water and 50,000 hygiene packs to an advanced aid station inside Ukraine’s borders.

 

An aid lorry organised by Glasgow the Caring City with 47,000 bars of soap leaves the warehouse at Soapworks in the city heading for Ukraines refugees on the Polish border. Pictured is Ross Galbraith, from the charity, and warehouse supervisor Debbie

An aid lorry organised by Glasgow the Caring City with 47,000 bars of soap leaves the warehouse at Soapworks in the city heading for Ukraine's refugees on the Polish border. Pictured is Ross Galbraith, from the charity, and warehouse supervisor Debbie

 

“We are tackling this on three fronts,” said Mr Galbraith. “First of all we are responding with initial aid to get it there as soon as we can. Our first truck left on Monday and arrived on Thursday and our second one will be on its way and is due to arrive there on Sunday.

“I am planning to meet the truck in Poland and then it will be driven over the border to the Ukraine.

"Secondly we are looking at more targeted aid with our partners and I'll be finding out what they need and how we can help them. And thirdly if we can we'll look at how we can help other initiatives to get their aid out there as well.”

The charity was set up in 1999 in response to the Kosovan refugee crisis by Rev Neil Galbraith, Ross’s father and minister of Glasgow’s Cathcart Old Parish Church.

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Since then Glasgow the Caring City has distributed over £600m worth of aid and development to over 70 countries, as well as projects at home in Scotland. During the Covid pandemic, they delivered almost £5million of personal protective equipment to over 300 Scottish communities.

 

Volunteers give food and drinks to people, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland. More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine following Russias invasion in the swiftest refugee exodus in this century, the United Nations said.

Volunteers give food and drinks to people, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland. More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine following Russia's invasion in the swiftest refugee exodus in this century, the United Nations said.

 

And watching the scenes from the Ukraine over the past few days as thousands of families spill over borders while others are trapped in parts of the country including the sick who are too ill to be move, the charity knew this would be their next response.

Mr Galbraith added: “These are people living in a capital city which some of will have been on a city break to in recent years or will have visited countries that it borders. This is happening to people in Europe and our response is to help.”

 

A woman pushes a stroller as people from Ukraine arrive at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland.

A woman pushes a stroller as people from Ukraine arrive at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland.

 

Charity founder Rev Galbraith is also the chaplain for Police Scotland and has offered support and understanding for officers carrying out their roles and is often there to raise spirits or offer a listening ear. Now officers are offering to help the Ukraine aid effort in their own time.

 

Staff from the warehouse at Soapworks look on as supplies are loaded and bound for Ukraine

Staff from the warehouse at Soapworks look on as supplies are loaded and bound for Ukraine

 

Rev Galbraith said: "We have had many calls from people offering to help and due to my links with officers as Police Scotland chaplain some of them are asking what can they do to help in their own free time whether it be fundraising or supporting us."