A slogan was ‘you can’t get better than a Kwik Fit fitter’ back in the day.

People near the Ukrainian frontline would probably agree with that, as workers at the Alton branch have come to the rescue of a beleaguered frontline hospital in the country.

Their gesture could genuinely save lives as their donation of £600 worth of special winter tyres will enable the hospital’s minibus to stay on the road through the brutal Ukrainian winter.

A small volunteer of group of Altonians will soon deliver the tyres from East Hampshire to eastern Ukraine in the latest in a series of missions to send humanitarian and medical aid to frontline areas.

The group have enjoyed a supportive relationship with the hospital in Vovchansk, a small Alton-sized town close to the Russian border.

But the hospital has been repeatedly targeted since the start of the war and was recently destroyed following a brief incursion and occupation.

Destroyed Ukrainian Hospital
The original hospital was occupied and later destroyed by the Russians. (Tony Souter)

The hospital is now based in Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, close to the Russian border, and will remain there for the foreseeable future, as its temporary replacement 20km was also destroyed by cluster munitions.

The 16-seat minibus was provided by a partner UK volunteer group along with spares to prepare it for the harsh winter conditions.

Hospital director Kostyantyn made the request for a set of all-season winter tyres with Kwik Fit responding to a plea for help by local aid volunteer, Tony Souter.

The firm’s operations manager, Dan McCarthy, agreed at once to supply the best Bridgestone winter tyres after hearing the story of the hospital’s plight.

He said: “It’s not very often we get the opportunity to help such a great cause”.

The volunteers have also encouraged Altonians to back an appeal to fund generators for Ukraine, to donate visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/energiseukraine