Our March convoy to Belarus was sponsored by the Osgoldcross and Elmet branch of the Rotarians. The very cold temperatures throughout the whole journey in what is described in Belarus as the coldest and longest winter for many years makes the title appropriate.
It was good to have Tony Parkin from Gateforth near Selby with us making his first convoy and visit to Eastern Europe. Paul Campey, Aidan Siney, Bob Beech and myself made up the team. Aidan was responsible for the drivers pool into which each donated £150 and Aidan then became the ‘mess steward’ and ordered the meals, coffee etc and even the Vodka when requested.
The Customs
On entering the Polish customs at 7pm the 7.5 led the way through the first ‘gate’ – passports and vehicle plate certificate – to be stopped immediately by the police for a tachometer check. We got a rollicking for not using the ‘two driver’ feature but got away without a fine. A driver next to us was told that he would be fined $700 for an axle overweight problem – not sure if he got away with it but it is a sign of the increase in the checks that are being made at all borders.
We decided to cross the border from Poland into Belarus overnight and arrived at the exit in Poland at 7pm having driven 12 hours. Apart from the aforementioned police check all things went well until we crossed into the Belarusian side where the total time for the full crossing took 16 hours. We managed to get three hours ’sleep’ before being subjected to the X-ray checks on the trailers and quite severe questioning about the weight of the loads. Two vehicles were released into BY by 11am with Paul having to go back to the agent who had made a mistake in processing our paperwork. This is the second convoy this has happened to Paul and by the same agent! Paul’s delay was another 2 hours.
The Border customs had noted on our paperwork their concerns regarding the weights and so on arrival at firstly Zhlobyn customs, the smaller truck, and secondly the Gomel customs for the two other vehicles we were warned that every box would be checked.
In Zhlobyn after a nights sleep in a warm flat we went to the vehicle to find that the started motor would not function and with the brakes locked on we needed some help. Within 15 minutes a fire engine and five firemen arrived and with some ‘pressure’ from a hammer and screwdriver we were on our way to the customs. Even the AA would not beat that.
The customs procedure took most of the day especially as they were excited about the vitamins we had on board and eventually well into the afternoon we were told that we would have to remain there overnight as the chief was on his day off and a decision without him was not possible. Our receiver Galina persuaded them that we should unload the vits (250000 tablets) and leave them at customs and after some exciting chatter this happened. The vits will be cleared later this week separately.
On arriving at the warehouse to unload there were two fire engines and six firemen to assist so under the eye of the customs officer we let them get on with it. The customs man stated that every pack of Pampers will be checked. On the manifest it recorded 640 packs and they counted 637 so I asked for a recount! He just laughed and signed the document – all was well. Leaving Zhlobyn at 7pm we drove to Gomel to meet up with the team.
Bob’s vehicle was unloaded at the Co-odination Centre without too much hassle and the following day we all went with Paul’s vehicle to unload at School No 5. This load was over 14 tonnes and the customs man having been pre-warned by the border customs that we were 7 tonnes underweight (impossible but that’s how it is there) would not accept a coffee saying” I want nothing from you I am just here to make sure that the law is carried out” That was a good start and as the staff at the school had not received aid before things were a bit chaotic. The team help with the unloading and the boxes were weighed on ‘Mickey mouse’ scales that they had borrowed from somewhere. Too small for the job but they kept at it. It took them two days to complete the check and then they found that we were, according to their calculations, 400 kilos overweight. So no problem. Since returning home and receiving the official ‘ Acts of difference’ from the customs for two of the vehicles one vehicle was 147kgs different from manifest and the largest truck just 63kg different in a 14ton plus load.
The visits: The highlight of the convoy was our visits to places that we had previously delivered to and to our projects that receive regular support from our charity. The children’s department at the huge psychiatric hospital in Gomel were using lots of aid previously delivered. School No. 5 where we had made the delivery has almost 300 pupils who are all disabled and again the children looked well cared for with plenty of activity. On the following day we visited a boarding school for the disabled children at Rechista and met the new director who we had know from his previous job as head teacher of a school in Vasilevichi. The children put on a show of singing and dancing for us and enjoyed doing so. It was great to see them so happy.
Other visits were made to the Mayflower centre, Klimovka, Rodni Kut and the Rogachev Association. On the Friday we visited a frozen vegetable packing station where the fridges were running at minus 17c ( same temperature as my cab in Poland!) then on to a 25 acre glasshouse production plant where the tomato plants were 2 mtrs tall and in fruit. Finally we visited a dairy to see 400 cows in a milking shed. All very impressive and professional.
On the journey home Tony, on his first convoy, stated “we have never stopped” and it was so as the days and nights were filled with work and activity.
Our sincere thanks go to all who made the convoy possible especially the Rotarians for their continued support, the wider aid team for the preparation for this and past convoys and our team in Gomel whose organisation skills made it all possible.
Mike Allison March 2010.
The journey across Europe was uneventful apart from the intense cold when temperatures fell to minus 17 during the night which made sleeping very difficult particularly in the smaller truck as the cab heater did not function. The cab interior was thick with ice each morning and the best comment to make is that it was a pleasure to get up.
The customs procedure was extended into the second day as we had major problems in reconciling the weights of the loads – manifest against the customs weigh scales. So each vehicle had to pass through the X-ray machine in the morning. Unloading in Zhlobyn customs later in the day we were warned that every box would be weighed as they had been informed of the ‘problem’ by the border customs. Similarly the big trailer was fully checked at the school No 5 – a procedure that took a full day. In both cases no problem was found and we expect the weights to be accepted as correct. There is no doubt that customs procedures for humanitarian aid deliveries have been tightened and are being enforced.
We completed the unloading process in Zhlobyn and in Gomel at School No 5 and the co-ordination centre and are now using the days before out return journey to visit our projects in the Gomel region. Visits to Klimovka and Duanovka are complete and today we visit the Psychiatric hospital and Retchista a boarding school for disabled children.
More later if we can make the connection with the net.
After months of preparation the three vehicles and a team of five set off today for Belarus with over 18 tonnes of aid that is to be distributed to schools, hospitals, orphanages and family associations especially those who have disabled children in their care.
A big vote of thanks go to the many people who have made this convoy possible through donations and the physical effort in collection and loading of the aid. Specific mention is made to Alan, Chris and Sam Judd, Bob Beech, John Withers and Paul Campey for their contribution without which this journey would not be possible.
Our new vehicle is pictured here. John Withers spent a full day preparing the vehicle for sign writing, Paul Campey fixed all the maintenance checks and Tony Parkin ferried the unit from place to place until the job was complete.
After unloading the vehicles in Belarus the team have a full itinerary of visits to places and families that have received aid from previous convoys before leaving for home to complete the 12 day round trip.
We hope to be able to update this page on route
Alan and John made the collection from Macclesfield and Chesterfield on Monday returning with a van filled with good aid including wheelchairs and new clothing. On Tuesday, joined by Tony Hudson, Chris and Alan Judd we completed the loading of the 7.5 tonner thus the three vehicles are ready for the off on Friday March 5th. Chris and Alan continued packing throughout the day and already we have aid prepared for a later convoy. It is now the final preparation of the vehicles, tyres,brakes, etc and the copius documentation in the final days.
As reported in an earlier entry 
the Rotarians are sponsoring the convoy and have planned a send off next Friday when the local press will cover the convoy departure. We plan to have the technology with us to allow updates here during our time on route and in Belarus.
During Friday we made a collection from Linpac at Featherstone and it was good to see Rose Edwards again. Rose has been to Belarus twice, once on convoy and has organised many aid collections and fund raisers with her colleagues at Linpac.
On Friday night several of the aid team enjoyed a splendid evening at a fund raiser for the local Monk Fryston group when over seventy supporters ate a chinese banquet at the local restaurant. The funds raised are to support the summer holidays for the Belarusian children.
John and Alan in the snow on Sunday
On Friday this week we got a call from a charity in Wakefield, Yorkshire called ‘Friends of Belarus’. The caller was Jack Cooper, the local chairman, who having contacted our office in Glossop was given our contacts here. Jack’s charity delivers aid from their base in Leicestershire each springtime to a school in a village called Ivanavo in the Brest region of Belarus. They had surplus aid and wanted to offer it to CCP UK. So we collected it on Saturday, most ready sorted, packed and ready for loading. Quite apart from the very good aid it was good to have the contact and already Jack has organised for us to give a talk to some of his team.
Sunday saw a heavy snow fall in our region and made it difficult for some of the team to travel to the warehouse where the plan was to load the 7.5 tonner for the upcoming convoy. Alan Miles and John Withers made it but we were restricted to just preparing the vehicle and the loading will be attempted during the coming week. On Monday Alan and John are going to Macclesfield and Chesterfield to collect aid.
The new unit
On Tuesday, with Paul Campey and John Withers, we travelled to Bury in Lancashire to view a replacement unit for the stolen DAF and did the deal there and then. So today we were back to collect the vehicle having completed the bank transactions and documentation. It is another DAF 380 with a high cab that will allow a double bunk. It has air suspension that should give a more comfortable ride than the last one. We need to get the transfers sorted to display the CCP logo and green crosses, get the tax documents back from DVLA and it will be ready for March 5th.
Steve of P&G loading our vehicle
On Thursday we picked up over four tonnes of nappies/pampers from Proctor and Gamble in Skemersdale. This is a tremendous boost to our project and the pampers will be readily accepted by the staff at the baby homes, institutions and family associations in Belarus. Our picture is of Steve from P&G on the fork truck moving just one of the 17 pallets collected. We are grateful to the staff at P&G for the support.
John and Bob complete the load
Having completed the loading of the step trailer at Selby on Sunday we were in Stockton on Tees at Alan Wades to assist the local team there to do similar to the second vehicle due to leave on convoy on March 5th. John Withers and Bob Beech had the job of organising the loading while the remainder packed and carried the aid to the vehicle.
The last few boxes.
Job done!
With the departure date of March 5th looming and the need to complete the loading of the first trailer in order that the manifest (loading documents) can be sent to our office in Belarus for translation and coding a late call to the local team was made. We met at the warehouse just after 9am on Sunday and by lunchtime the job was done. Working with us for the first time was Tony Parkin who will team up with Bob Beech in one of the vehicles.
Bob and Alan.
On Tuesday this week Alan Wade and Bob Beech drove their large vehicle from Stockton on Tees to the warehouse where they unloaded aid and collected items that are to be taken to Belarus in March.
The Trustees have agreed that we purchase a replacement for the stolen towing unit (see a previous entry) and we have identified a suitable vehicle that we hope to obtain in time for the March Journey.
On Wednesday this week we were at David and Barbara Cox’s to collect aid from their Buxton and Longnor Group in Derbyshire. The aid was a mixture of all the good things a needy family would welcome including bedding, clothing, toiletries, toys, stationary, prams and pushchairs. Each box or bag has been meticulously packed and labelled with specific boxes marked for the village Teliashi and the Diabetic Association with many others to be generally distributed. Barbara had prepared a super lunch that topped off what was a most worthwhile visit.
In the evening the Osgoldcross and Elmet Rotarians presented the aid team with a cheque for £2000 towards the March convoy and as part of their long and continued sponsorship of our project. Plans are in place to feature the Rotarian’s support when the convoy departs with press and media cover. The photo shows Pam Smith president of the Osgoldcross and Elmet Rotarians presenting the cheque to Mike Allison. As the title implies – A good day!
2010 Calendar
Recuperative Holidays
Holiday Camp
