The Charity

Welcome to The Yorkshire Aid Convoy—a beacon of hope for vulnerable communities in Romania and Ukraine. Our founder, Mark Murphy, has spent over 20 years visiting Romania, witnessing firsthand the hardships faced by those living in poverty. His visits to towns, villages, orphanages, hospitals, and refugee camps revealed a stark reality that needed urgent attention. An eye-opening exploratory trip to Ukraine in 1999 further underscored the desperate circumstances many people endure.

Determined to make a difference, Mark and Simon Hartley launched The Yorkshire Aid Convoy in 2002. Their mission is simple yet vital: to collect, transport, and deliver humanitarian aid directly to where it is needed most. Even after Romania joined the EU, many citizens continued to struggle without sufficient government support, making our work more critical than ever.

Today, Mark is supported by his son Felix, daughter Florence, and trustee Gary Dooley, forming a dedicated team that leads our cause. Every year, our unpaid volunteers—hailing from all walks of life—come together to collect donations from generous individuals and corporate sponsors, pack our lorries with essential supplies, and drive over 5,000 km on our quarterly distribution missions.

We work closely with local organisations and charities in both Romania and Ukraine to understand the unique needs of each community. By doing so, we send aid that people truly need—whether it’s bicycles, soap powder, or life-saving medical equipment—instead of what we assume they might require. Many local organisations now rely solely on our efforts to continue providing basic healthcare and education services.

Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, our focus has shifted to where the need is most urgent. We now run three to four large convoys each year. Among our deliveries have been over 5,000 computers to help rebuild education in areas where schools have been destroyed, vehicles including an ambulance and a mobile classroom, and, most recently, critical medical equipment. In 2024, after visiting Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv to deliver aid and connect with staff and patients, we returned just two months later with a convoy carrying seven operating theatres donated by a London hospital—after the hospital had been hit by a Russian hypersonic missile.

At The Yorkshire Aid Convoy, we firmly believe that if we don’t help, nobody will. Join us in our mission to bring hope and essential aid to those who need it most.