Sydney businessman James Spenceley driving crowdfunded ambulances in mercy dash to Ukraine
Business leader James Spenceley is headed to war-torn Ukraine on a brave mission to deliver crowd-funded ambulances to those fighting the Russian invasion.
Manly
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Successful Cremorne businessman, North Sydney councillor and father of two, James Spenceley is supporting Ukraine – actively.
He has bought two ambulances for the people of Ukraine to use right now and with the support of crowd-funding, he plans to purchase a third.
He will be driving one of the ambulances personally, from France to Ukraine to deliver it.
James wife Viktoriia is from Ukraine: “So I know Ukraine intimately.”
“I’m driving the first one myself to ensure that it gets to the people who need it. My wife’s family are in that region and if I deliver it myself I know they will get it.”
“The second one I will donate on behalf of the people of North Sydney and I will donate a third through crowd-funding.
“We have so many friends and family there, who are updating us daily and I’ve spent a lot of time there myself. We’ve been watching the devastation caused by Russia’s invasion and I’ve been looking for ways I can help, to directly support the people.”
“I wanted to do something where I know the impact will be immediate and there’s not a complicated system to get the help where it needs to go, so last week I struck on the idea of getting the ambulances there,” James said.
The ambulances are being purchased in France.
“We’re talking to family and friends directly, and they told us there was an enormous need for ambulances. When people are injured in the current fighting and bombing, they are being taken to hospitals in the back of small cars.
“We’ve been told people are dying whose lives could have been saved with basic medical assistance. A donated ambulance will save least five lives per day.”
They cost between $25,000 and $30,000.
“Then we need to kit them out with medical supplies. That aspect worried me at first but I’ve now been able to access completely pre-assembled medical kits, for about $2,500 a set, which we’re able to equip the ambulances with.
These include, for example, resuscitators, tourniquets and scissors strong enough to cut seatbelts off.
Spenceley is the chairman of Airtasker and founder of telecommunications company Vocus Group. He was elected to North Sydney Council in the recent council elections.
If you would like to contribute to the crowd-funding for the third ambulance, go to Ausukraineaid.org and donate through the GoFundMe site.
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