Preparation

After months of preparation, 4 volunteers set off on Saturday morning (5th Dec) from Gloucester in an ambulance and van packed with medical aid and equipment, to join 74 other vehicles from all over the country, as part of the 3rd Viva Palestina convoy.

The convoy left London following a send off next to the Houses of Parliament on Sunday morning, heading for France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt and God-willing entering Gaza by the end of December.

Our van was decorated by 3 volunteers from GlosAid who spent hours in the freezing cold, to complete an impressive mural on the sides of the van. The ambulance itself was bought by a donation from a generous benefactor from outside of Gloucester who believes in the cause.

However, large or small the donations, there has been a very generous response and shown the spirit of the different communities, all pulling together. The donations in monetary terms total quite a few thousand pounds from Gloucester alone (exact amounts to follow shortly) whilst the equipment donations vary from boxes of bandages, paracetamols, sanitary aids to blood pressure monitors and wheelchairs. We had a very generous load of wheelchairs and other mobility aids from GIS and a pallet load of medicines from Leicester to add to make sure that the vans were filled to maximum capacity.

A group of well-wishers also traveled to London to see them off and hear the farewell speeches by George Galloway MP and journalist Yvonne Ridley as well as a representative from the Stop the War campaign.