A Fife father-of-two is driving more than 1,000 miles with food and non-perishable supplies to help Ukrainian refugees.
Ceres man Mark Fleming, 57, is driving his 4×4 and horsebox to the Poland-Ukraine border.
His collection is being assisted by parents and pupils at his children’s school, St Leonards in St Andrews.
However, he fears we are only seeing the “tip of the iceberg” of how bad devastation is on the frontlines.
He fears the relative lack of press reporting from the conflict zones mean we don’t really have the “finger on the pulse” of how awful things really are.
“We’ve all had the ‘Kate Adie’ days of seeing what happens in war,” Mark told The Courier.
“But here we are watching loop reels on TV and most of the press coverage is ‘back-room’.
“I’m just concerned about how this is unfolding and where this could end up.”
War on our doorstep
Like thousands of others, Mark has watched the unfolding Russian invasion of Ukraine over recent days with horror.
“I’ve been watching this and thinking ‘good God how could this happen on our doorstep with a democratically elected government in our backyard’?”
It made him start to think about what people here can do to help.
Then, when he got a phone call from his old friend David Fox-Pitt in Perthshire, who is organising a convoy to Ukraine to set up a field kitchen for refugees, Mark decided he wanted to do something to help himself.
“I’m light of foot so I can do this myself,” said the chartered surveyor, who works for Savills.
“I’ll be able to mobilise a lot more quickly.
“So I’m going to take a 4×4 and a horse trailer and load it to the gunnels with stuff and head out there over the next few days.”
Support from St Leonards pupils
Mark, a former Madras College pupil who grew up near The Gauldry, explained that his collection efforts are being supported by the families of year eight children at St Leonards School in St Andrews where his two children attend.
Pupils are helping him pack his trailer on Wednesday March 2, and his aim is to catch the ferry to mainland Europe on Thursday night.
With his friend sharing the driving, he hopes to complete the 1,000-mile journey from Amsterdam to the Poland-Ukraine border near Lviv by Saturday evening.
With assistance from a Ukrainian contact, he will then either hand out the stuff directly to refugees or hand it over to a reception.
He’ll then return to Scotland but might go again in a few weeks to help re-supply David Fox-Pitt’s canteen once that has been established.
He added: “The bottom line is I couldn’t just look at the television and watch this unfold, on our doorstep. It’s the least I can do.
“I don’t see it as a big thing. I can jump in my car and be away for five days. So what?”
Different nationalities
Simon Brian, head of St Leonards, said in a letter to parents that the school was committed to supporting efforts.
He said: “As a school community with over 35 different nationalities on our roll, it is unsurprising that some of our pupils and families will be, and have already been, very directly affected by the events of the past few days.
“We have members of our pupil and staff body who have very close links to Ukraine and to Russia, and our thoughts in particular are with them, and those who have friends and family there, at this time.
“At St Leonards, we are committed to educating our young people for a peaceful and better world, in which they can make a meaningful difference, and we will continue to support all in our community at this time, and always.”
To donate to Mark Fleming’s efforts go to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mark-fleming-3?utm_id=1&utm_term=AN3R7x6Gj
