Ukraine conflict: Cloybank boss travels from Banknock to Poland with aid for refugees

A Falkirk businessman is about to embark on a 3000 mile round trip to bring aid to refugees fleeing war-torn Ukraine.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

John Penman, who runs Cloybank outdoor centre in Banknock, has been overwhelmed by the donations from across Falkirk district – much of it pouring in within hours of his appeal.

He leaves later today for Manchester where he will meet up with friends who also have a donation-filled van and from there they will catch a ferry to France before travelling across Europe to the Poland-Ukranian border.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With him on the journey will be David Wright, 23, an apprentice joiner working at Cloybank, who jumped at the chance to help out.

Cloybank owner John Penman will travel to Poland with David Wright, apprentice joiner after Carolanne Cowan, John's daughter and Cloybank supervisor, helped them pack the donations into their minibus. Pic: Michael GillenCloybank owner John Penman will travel to Poland with David Wright, apprentice joiner after Carolanne Cowan, John's daughter and Cloybank supervisor, helped them pack the donations into their minibus. Pic: Michael Gillen
Cloybank owner John Penman will travel to Poland with David Wright, apprentice joiner after Carolanne Cowan, John's daughter and Cloybank supervisor, helped them pack the donations into their minibus. Pic: Michael Gillen

John said: “Like everyone I’ve been horrified by what is happening in Ukraine and the plight of the people.

"We can't just sit back and let this happen right in front of our eyes. Every wee bit we can do to help will make that little bit of difference.”

Read More
Guinness World Record: Pioneering heart surgery survivor from Falkirk is a recor...

He said the call to get involved came from one of his friends, who he regularly meets at the Isle of Man TT races.

Carolanne Cowan, Cloybank supervisor, squeezes the final donations into the minibus that will travel to PolandCarolanne Cowan, Cloybank supervisor, squeezes the final donations into the minibus that will travel to Poland
Carolanne Cowan, Cloybank supervisor, squeezes the final donations into the minibus that will travel to Poland
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

John added: “He phoned me and said he was going with another friend to do a humanitarian run to Poland. He knew that I would want to be part of it.

"I went to my wife Libby and told her what he was doing and she gave her blessing for me to go too, saying: ‘I knew that you would want to do something like this’.”

Within hours of putting the appeal on Cloybank’s Facebook page, people were arriving at their door to hand over donations of nappies, first aid kits, hats, scarves and gloves.

"We’ve just been blown away,” said John, admitting that the kindness shown had moved him to tears on more than one occasion. “The generosity of the Scottish people is outstanding and often it’s from people who don’t have a lot themselves.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

John and David, helped by John’s daughter Carolanne Cowan, a supervisor at Cloybank, packed all the goods into boxes and then had the task of fitting them all into the Cloybank minibus.

"I never thought that we would have this response and I can’t thank folk enough,” John added.

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a subscription to our print newspaper to help fund our trusted, fact-checked journalism.

https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/nord/dm/FKH/V