Interested in advertising with us?

Advertise with us

Subscribe to trusted local news

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

  • Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

09

Feb 2023

Last Updated: 08/02/2023
Community
Community

Harrogate pensioner appeals for cash to fund ambulance for quake-hit Turkey

by John Grainger

| 09 Feb, 2023
Comment

0

img20220113145606-2
John Shackleton has funded, bought and stocked 33 ambulances, and delivered them to 22 countries.

A Harrogate retiree is appealing for a rapid injection of funds to buy an ambulance that he will drive to earthquake-hit parts of Turkey. 

John Shackleton, 84, has funded, bought and stocked 34 ambulances over the last three decades, and delivered them to 22 countries – as well as three fire engines and two minibuses. 

Now he wants to buy another, but the only obstacle is money. He said:

“I was going to deliver the next ambulance to Moldova, but then the earthquake struck, so Turkey it is. So I’ve already raised £12,000 by chopping down trees and selling the logs, and I already have a garageful of medical supplies.  
“I just need to quickly raise £6,000 to £8,000 more to buy the ambulance and we can go. It’s not complicated – it's very simple. I could set off tomorrow if I had the cash.” 


The Kahramanmaraş earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday, razing buildings across a wide area and trapping thousands in the rubble. The latest estimate is that at least 12,000 people have been killed. Teams of rescuers have flown in from many countries, but their efforts are being hampered by cold weather.

Mr Shackleton said:

"You can rest assured that when it all calms down, the 'big boys' will pull out, but our ambulance will still be there, doing its work."


Mr Shackleton is currently waiting to find out from the Turkish Embassy if the Red Crescent charity will accept a right-hand-drive vehicle. If not, he will fly to Amsterdam, buy a left-hand-drive ambulance at auction – which he has done many times before – bring it to Harrogate to stock it, and drive it south. 

Mr Shackleton was first moved to do humanitarian work when he saw news reports revealing the conditions in Romanian orphanages following the opening of its borders in 1990. He and a band of volunteers went there and installed flushing toilets and showers. 

He said:

“There were thousands of youngsters in appalling conditions. It still haunts me.
“That was over 30 years ago, and now in 2023 there’ll be a lot of injured people in the earthquake zone who will need to be transported. 
“I get the same feeling now that I did back then – it's a compulsion to help. I’m fit and I’ve got the means to do it – so I have to. It’s very basic.”