Hartlepool father and son set off for Ukraine as town's mercy mission gathers pace

Kevin Hogg, 35, and his dad Graham, 68, are sharing the driving of one of the vehicles which set off from Stranton on Tuesday morning for a 26-hour drive to the Ukrainian border.

Drivers from Poland came to Hartlepool to drive the other two vans which left packed with supplies from town firm Hogg Global Logistics, which acted as a base for public donations.

But Kevin and Graham, who is the director/owner of Hogg Global Logistics, had one job to do before they started the 1,800-mile journey.

They stopped at Sacred Heart School, in Hartlepool, to be waved off by every pupil.

The school was one of many in town which held collections to help the people of Ukraine and it was the items donated by students which were packed into the vans.

Graham said: “The children at Sacred Heart wanted to see the vans before they went.”

Mum-of-two Lyndsay Hogg is Kevin’s sister and Graham’s daughter and her son Joel, 10, goes to Sacred Heart School.

She also has a two-year-old called Charlie and Lyndsay said: “There must have been hundreds of children who turned out to wave the vans off.”

Once the convoy arrives at the Ukraine border, it will meet local drivers who will take over the supplies and deliver them to the areas of Ukraine which need them most.

Hartlepool’s huge effort to help the war-torn country saw the first two trucks leave for Ukraine last week.

But when they arrived at the border they faced an anxious wait as air raid sirens went off.

The latest batch of aid means five vehicles filled with supplies has left Hartlepool and it may not end there.

Lyndsay said: “We will need a sixth if not more.”

Tens of thousands” of items poured into Hogg, which is based at the Hartlepower Energy Hub, in Stranton, since the appeal was first launched, including sleeping bags, duvets, blankets and medical supplies.

Hogg stepped in when it heard about the plans of Ferryhill man Rob Tocher, who launched the initial plea for donations.

While grateful for people’s generosity, the company has now stopped accepting items.

For the latest news and information about the Ukraine invasion click here for online NationalWorld coverage.

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