15 years, 250,000 miles, over £30m in humanitarian aid with one aim – to make a positive change

The Yorkshire Aid convoy is celebrating its 15th anniversary after delivering £30m worth of humanitarian aid to Eastern Europe, as it prepares for another 3,000-mile trip to Romania on 26th May.

The charity, made up of a group of Yorkshire business leaders, has been preparing for its latest journey to deliver over 100 tonnes of desperately needed humanitarian aid. This trip marks 15 years since the charity began making deliveries abroad, an exciting milestone for the members and sponsors, with more than 250,000 miles covered since 2002 when the charity was founded.

Next week, the Yorkshire business leaders will begin packing up HGVs with donations from a number of local companies. The charity will then travel across Europe to the most poverty-stricken areas of rural Romania where living conditions are poor and many villages lack basic living resources.

Every year The Yorkshire Aid Convoy converses with local organisations and charities in Romania, to ensure the desired supplies and equipment are sent directly to where they are needed most. From hospitals to schools and nurseries to farms, the charity endeavours to make a positive difference with its donations made up of medical equipment, clothes, nappies, cooking supplies, education resources and more.

Gary Dooley, director of Leeds-based marketing agency, Pure, and a trustee of the Yorkshire Aid Convoy for seven years, said: “After 15 years of travelling to these destitute areas, it is so rewarding to know we are making such a difference to people’s lives. We all feel extremely passionate about what we do, and it’s such a privilege to be involved in the process from beginning to end, gathering the supplies and delivering them personally.”

Established in 2002, the Yorkshire Aid Convoy aims to empower people in poor countries to become self-sufficient by providing working machinery, giving long-term help for people constantly battling against a lack of food, clothing and employment.