A local community councillor from Llanfoist who has been working with a charity delivering medical aid to charities helping Ukrainian refugees, travelled into Ukraine last week to deliver further aid to those suffering.

As previously reported in the Chronicle, army veteran Hannah Jarvis has been working with the charity Bridge to Unity to stockpile a range of medical equipment including defibrillators and trauma kits to help support refugees who have been forced to flee their homes following Russia’s invasion of the country in February.

Having previously travelled with aid to neighbouring Poland as well as the Polish-Ukrainian border, Hannah went one step further making her first visit to Ukraine alongside Bridge to Unity Director Matt Simmons.

Hannah and Matt left for Ukraine in the early hours of the morning on Thursday May 12, returning home to the UK at 1am on Monday May 16.

Travelling via car through neighbouring European countries, Hannah and Matt suffered a terrifying experience at the Slovakian border where they were stuck and held at gunpoint for 6 hours by Slovakian soldiers and police who refused to let them through to Ukraine.

After being interrogated by police, they were eventually allowed in.

With fuel stations empty and buildings left half-built due to the conflict in Ukraine, neighbouring countries such as Slovakia have seen miles of long queues at border crossings with cars full of families and children looking to get back into Ukraine after leaving for fuel, food and other resources.

Speaking about the experience, Hannah said: “It was quite frightening for a while, but my army experience kicked in and we insisted that we had to travel through as we needed to deliver crucial aid.”

The purpose of their visit was to deliver medical aid – worth £10,000 – to various charities and organisations helping with the ongoing crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.

On their previous visits, Hannah and Matt have worked with Zintegrowana Sluzba Ratownicza (ZSR), a not-for-profit organisation based in Poland made up of voluntary medics providing emergency support to those crossing the border from Ukraine.

Some of their collected medical aid was once again delivered to ZSR, whilst other aid and medical equipment was delivered to a maternity hospital in Zhytomyr that had been hit by Russian missiles as well as the 128th Carpathian Division army regiment.

Whilst in Ukraine, Hannah and Matt stayed with a family of refugees in the Carpathian mountains in Uzhhorod.

Hannah said: “Our hosts were extremely friendly and very welcoming, and it was incredible to hear their stories and what they have been through.

“There was a small baby who had only been born a few weeks and had yet to meet her father who like many Ukrainian men has stayed to fight in the East of the country.”

Hannah even had the opportunity to speak to the husband of the woman hosting them, speaking to him via FaceTime.

She said: “Hearing the artillery in the background whilst we were speaking really brought home what they are dealing with and despite the circumstances it was still nice to make that connection with someone fighting on the front-line”

“It was moving to see how the family are coping and particularly how they are supporting each other through these harrowing times.”

Hannah and Bridge to Unity hope to maintain the relationships they have built through their visits and are even planning further visits into the country as far as the capital Kyiv.

It had proved to be a busy week for Hannah, as prior to leaving for Ukraine she was invited to attend the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday May 11.

Accompanied by a former army colleague, Hannah joined 8,000 people at the event which also saw members of the Royal Family including the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles and Camilla.

Hannah also works as an office manager for Member of Senedd Joel James, and was nominated by Mr James for her excellent and tireless work supporting local communities during the Covid pandemic along with her work supporting the people of Ukraine.

Hannah said: “I was delighted to attend the garden party at Buck Palace, it was particularly special to attend in the year of the Queens Platinum Jubilee.

“I’m grateful to my boss, Joel James MS, for nominating me in recognition of the humanitarian work I’ve been involved in and hope it reminds people the situation in Ukraine is ongoing and as serious as ever.”