A TRIO of volunteers are set to leave Wrexham on a special journey that will see them driving 4,000 miles.
On behalf of the Emergency Services Aid Charity, Jazmine Bonnell, and father-son duo Paul and Daniel McNulty, will make up a team of 65 volunteers, driving 24 emergency vehicles from North Wales to Gambia.
As part of Operation Zephyr, the trio will help take much-needed, life-saving vehicles – including ambulances and fire engines, as well as one boat – to teams of emergency workers in the West African country.
As well as paying for their own flights, vaccinations and hotels, each volunteer has raised £3,000.
The money raised for the Emergency Services Aid Charity helps pay for the decommissioned vehicles and their initial maintenance, as well as insurance, border crossings and fuel from the trip.
Daniel, a Rhyl firefighter and his dad Paul, a retired Ruthin firefighter, will join Jazmine, from Kinmel Bay in Conwy, for the epic mission.
Jazmine, 36, said: “I knew Daniel, and with Paul, they had done this same charity expedition in 2022.
“He had told me all about it and I just couldn’t believe how many mums died in Gambia due to not being able to get to hospital.
“How many orphanages there are, how many children without parents. It devastated me and I asked how I could get involved.
“We’ve been fundraising for the trip since last year. In May this year we have already sent over a container full of equipment.
“This includes medical supplies, wheelchairs, crutches, fire and paramedic uniforms, and paramedic bags.”
The trio will embark on their trip at 7.30am from Wrexham, on Thursday, September 12, meeting the rest of the volunteers in Plymouth, before their ferry the next day from Portsmouth.
Jazmine, who will do a daily blog from all of the 15 countries on the route, explained that all the vehicles have been named in honour of somebody.
She said: “We have had a lot of local support. People have had the chance to sponsor a vehicle, and name it memory after a loved one. All those stickers are now on the vehicles and ready.”
