John Shackleton, 83, is preparing to deliver an ambulance to a humanitarian organisation in Moldova next month.
If you’re not familiar with Mr Shackleton’s work, he’s been delivering ambulances to hospices and hospitals in Europe since 1990.
The Harrogate man has since delivered 47 of them to an exhaustive list of countries, including Albania, Kazakstan, Armenia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.
To raise money to pay for the ambulances, John and his team chop down trees in need of felling all over Harrogate that they dry out before selling as firewood.
He’s currently selling a large barrow bag of oak for £90, much lower than the market rate, and it includes delivery within the Harrogate area.
He said:
“I’ve been chopping logs this morning. At my age, and after my heart attack, it’s hard work.”
The price of second-hand ambulances has risen sharply since the covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine from around €12,000 to €24,000.
Mr Shackleton sources ambulances in the Netherlands but he’s struggled to buy one due to a shortage.
Read more:
- Harrogate’s John Shackleton hoping to deliver ambulance to Ukraine
- John Shackleton, 83, hoping to deliver one final ambulance to Eastern Europe
In a couple of weeks he will set off to Europe, with a crew that includes his grandson and a German TV crew, and he’s optimistic that he’ll be able to buy one in time.
He added:
“We’re going to quite a big Christian organisation in Moldova. I’ve got my team, all we need now is an ambulance.
“I never thought I wouldn’t be able to buy one. But the story of my life is I’m always optimistic”.
If you’d like to buy some firewood from John to help him buy an ambulance, give him a ring on 01423 871255 or email [email protected]
