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An Oakworth man is heading to the Ukraine to help hand over a range of equipment to the country's fire service.

Aidan Williams, pictured, retained liaison manager with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, is travelling to Vinogradiv to meet the convoy and see where the gear will be used.



The West Yorkshire brigade is donating protective clothing such as tunics, trousers, boots and helmets and a selection of tools that it no longer uses, and the company Fire Angel is providing 270 smoke alarms. The goods are being transported by Take Hope (Yorkshire), a charity which helps people in the former Yugoslavian states, in Romania and now in Transcarpathia, Ukraine.



As well as visiting fire stations during his trip, Mr Williams will also take in two orphanages, a disabled children's therapy centre, soup kitchen and food distribution centre. He said: "The equipment we are donating has passed its use-by' date as far as West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is concerned, so would normally be scrapped. It is, however, still useable and this form of recycling costs the brigade nothing and yet enhances the capacity of another fire and rescue service. "



Andrew McVeigh, director of Take Hope (Yorkshire), said: "Our partnership with the fire service started in 2005, when the brigade donated used equipment and uniforms which we shipped to the fire service in Vinogradiv.



"The director of the fire service in Vinogradiv, Viktor Masjuk, was deeply moved on receipt of the humanitarian aid between fellow firefighters and commented in his letter of thanks that his colleagues would be much safer and be able to work with more success because of the protective clothing and equipment donated.