KIND-HEARTED members of Cumbria Freemasons delivered goods to the Polish and Ukrainian border to support those in the crisis. 

Six members travelled in a van from Penrith over the weekend to deliver essential supplies to the Ukrainian people. 

Cumbria Freemason member Neil Dixon, who was part of the group, said: "It was an amazing experience and to see the look on the gentlemen's face when we delivered those goods made every mile of the 3,000-mile trip worthwhile.

"It was surreal as the gentleman we met was elderly and was able to cross the border, however he came with a younger man who had to stay in Ukraine and fight. 

"The goods went to a church in Kyiv and to see how grateful they were and to see it getting used within a local community is just brilliant. 

"When we first arrived it was eerie and the streets were very quiet as we drove through Poland we saw large convoys of tanks and armed forces vehicles.

"At that point it really hit home and the mood in the van changed a little. But adrenaline kicked in and we focused on what we were doing and why we were doing it.

"The people we saw over there are living in tents and they have no supplies, when we got there it was very cold so to know our community will benefit them is amazing."

It was a 40-hour drive to the Ukrainian border and Neil explained that along the way people showed their thanks for what they were doing. On the ferry one of the staff, who was Ukrainian, supplied them with drinks to show his thanks. 

The gentlemen that the group met when they delivered the goods was known only as 'Sergei' and he gave a brief statement to them on camera. 

He said: "Thanks for the help you have given us from England to Ukraine, we will fight and we will win."

READ MORE: https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/19974634.cumbria-freemasons-contribute-grant-rainian-refugee