The journey will have taken around five days, including fifty hours of driving.
Two men from Leeds have made the journey over to the Polish border to deliver over 1,300 miles to deliver supplies to those crossing from Ukraine.
Phil Knowles and Chris Ritter have been documenting their progress on YouTube from Chapeltown to Poland and back.
Their journey began in West Yorkshire on Monday, where a van from Octopus Building Services in Chapeltown has been loaded with food, medical supplies and clothes, weighing almost two tonnes in total.
There have been multiple updates on YouTube, where the men have expressed their gratitude and asked for further donations to the Go Fund Me: Help Ukraine Emergency Appeal, which has so far raised over £2 million.
The two men drove over 1,300 miles to Leżajsk, which is close to the Ukrainian border.
The journey saw the two dropping off the supplies at a charity warehouse where front-line medics and volunteers helped unpack the donations collected in Leeds.
Loading the van in Huddersfield. / Image: Leeds-Ukraine-Aid
The workers there expressed explained that the donations will be sent straight to the border, where staff there will use the food, medical supplies and clothes to offer to Ukrainian refugees before the move away from the border point and on to nearby towns and cities.
Supplies most in need at the moment are those that will bring warmth: it gets well below freezing at night so it's essential that there's enough to keep the volunteers and refugees warm and fed.
Heat warmers, blankets, nursing blankets and medical supplies, especially for blisters, colds, split ankles are all in needed the most, according to staff in Leżajsk.
In the most recent update from the pair, they told viewers that the experience has been "humbling" saying:
"I think we have the easiest job here, driving for twenty four hours [...] I feel as though we have seen a small window into a huge operation here".
Elsewhere, over £100 million to help refugees fleeing Ukraine as part of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a government-backed fundraising appeal launched by a group of 15 UK charities. These charities have clubbed together to provide aid to those fleeing their home country.
Warehouses are filling with the emergency supplies. / Image: Go Fund Me
Get ready to take the plunge Leeds, as a community-led sauna and ice bath concept is on its way.
Hidden behind a railway arch in Saxton Gardens, Kontrast is gearing up to bring its popular sauna and ice bath concept to the city.
Following the huge success of its Manchester site, Kontrast Leeds will combine saunas, ice baths and a cafe designed to bring wellness into everyday life.
The Leeds space will feature two traditional saunas, one infrared saunas and four ice baths each varying in temperature between 3 and 13 degrees.
Images: Supplied
Plunge pools can be enjoyed solo or shared, depending on what guests choose, giving people the opportunity to shape each session around exactly what they need that day.
To suit different moods and preferences, Kontrast Leeds will include both a social sauna and a silent sauna, giving guests the option to come for conversation or reflection.
Single sessions will cost just £12 for 45 minutes, with 90-minute sessions from £20.
Image: Supplied
Known for making sauna and ice feel more accessible, welcoming and community-driven, Kontrast has grown beyond regular sessions to become a base for recurring events. These include their live ambient DJ set event, Unwind, which celebrates local talent, and their weekly run club, both of which the team hopes to bring to Leeds as part of building a similar sense of community in the city.
The Leeds site builds on everything the team has learned from Kontrast in Manchester.
Alongside the core sauna, Ice, cafe offering, the new site will include improved facilities, more spacious sauna provision and additional ice baths meaning more room for people to get involved.
Myles Smith announces HUGE arena gig in Leeds this year
Thomas Melia
Singer-songwriter Myles Smith has just announced his biggest headline tour and is set to play a huge arena gig in Leeds this year.
Quit ‘Stargazing’ and get ready to fight for tickets as Myles Smith has just announced he’ll be visiting Leeds later this year for his biggest arena gig to date.
Known for hits like ‘Nice To Meet You’, ‘Stay (If You Wanna Dance)’ and ‘Wait For You’, this BRIT School graduate is now heading on the road for some headline shows across the UK.
Recognised for his folk-pop sound, Smith has built quite a name for himself just three or so years into his career, with solo efforts and a few collaborations under his belt.
Myles Smith is heading to First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds, on tour this year / Credit: Press shots (supplied)
Recently, the Luton-born artist collaborated with some well-known names like Shaboozey on their track ‘Blink Twice’ and even features on a new single from former One Direction member Niall Horan titled ‘Drive Safe’.
It was only last year that the ‘Stargazing’ songwriter visited Leeds, bringing his high-energy hits to O2 Academy back in February.
Now, Smith is ready to tackle an arena crowd and has chosen Leeds First Direct Bank Arena and is expected to raise the roof when 13,500 fans flock to the star’s show this winter.
Titled after his upcoming album My Mess, My Life, My Heart, Smith will be playing a variety of well-known and brand new hits when he makes his way up North.
Fans who are signed up to the official artist presale can get exclusive access to tickets from Wednesday, 25 March at 10am, with the window closing on Friday, 27 March at 9am.
Meanwhile, general admission tickets go live by 10 am that same Friday (27 Mar).
Myles Smith is embarking on his ‘My Mess, My Life, My Heart’ tour this winter and visiting First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds on Sunday 8 November – tickets and more info HERE.
Sophie Smith -
9th March 2022 
