As communities unite and come together to provide practical support for the people of Ukraine, Liverpool-based hotelier and entrepreneur Peter Schriewersmann is launching and coordinating an appeal to get vital and much-needed ambulances to the Polish / Ukrainian border, which is a focal point of providing sanctuary and resources to refugees fleeing across the border.
As an adopted Scouser, Peter, co-owner of the hugely popular Hotel Anfield, is massively passionate about providing support as swiftly as possible. His wife, Joanna, is from Poland and is already involved with the regional Polish relief effort. It was Joanna who inspired him and told him about a shortage of ambulances.
Peter has business and personal contacts across the continent including his cousin, Thomas, from Reitburg in Germany, who works in a closely related industry and has been able to source eleven Mercedes and Volkswagen ambulances up for sale through his own personal contacts.
Peter Schriewersmann, coordinator of the Ukrainian Ambulance Appeal explains: ‘After watching events unfold over the last fortnight in particular, I have never felt so committed to a cause as I do to this one. I am struggling to comprehend what is happening to this proud European country of Ukraine.
Straight away, I felt it was important to act, and in a way that will have a tangible impact. My wife, Joanna, who is working tirelessly, has provided such inspiration for me. When she informed me of the shortage of ambulances. I felt compelled to contact my cousin Thomas, who luckily for us works within the industry and has many useful contacts.
Through his tenacity, we have been able to source these ambulances via a Dutch connection. While some donations of emergency vehicles have been made to the cause, there is much work to do and as a family we feel well placed to provide assistance.
We are also privileged that the vendor of these ambulances has dropped the price for us to £150,000 for all eleven vehicles, which are technically 100% and ready for deployment. This is a saving of £30,000 on the list price. It will then also be down to us to raise enough funds to cover their transfer from the Dutch coast to Poland, including accommodation, food and petrol for a team of drivers – including myself.
After some wonderful initial support from other businesses and key individuals, the logistics for our operation, including all necessary paperwork and route handover, are all mapped out. Our plan is to drive them from Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, to Krakow in Poland, either next week or the week after.
From here, the Polish authorities will take over, and will liaise with their counterparts in Ukraine for a swift handover.
This is a fundraiser where anyone who donates will be able to see the support they are providing. I will provide regular updates via my personal social media on LinkedIn and the fundraising page. However, it is also important that we raise funds as swiftly as possible, as it is a timely pressure to provide assistance.
I would like to thank everyone in advance for their support. I know that the people of Liverpool are hugely generous and empathetic, as is everyone in the region. Their contributions to this appeal on every level are much needed and so much appreciated. I look forward to us hitting our fundraising target, and providing you all with details of the successful handover of these ambulances. To put it quite simply, any contribution will save the lives of people, just like you and me, who urgently need our help. Us ordinary people have the power to make an extraordinary difference.’
Peter and his team are already working to get this appeal and project underway, and appreciate any support that comes their way.
You can donate directly to this appeal here:
https://app.investorsincommunity.org/charity/25/project/2114