Students' Mongolia mission

Burgmeister — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:44:24 -0400

TWO Lancaster University students will this month set off on a mammoth cross-country drive to deliver an ambulance to rural Mongolia.

Matt Burgum, a final year geography student, and Charlie Hogg, a final year business studies student, will depart England on July 18, travelling 10,000 miles through three entire deserts and five mountain ranges.

The route will take them through France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and finally Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.

For the past five months the pair have raised £10,000 for the fully functional ambulance and mobile clinic, which will be used for vaccinations and screenings where most people do not have direct access to medical care in the rural areas of Mongolia.

Charlie, 21, said: "I always wanted to embark on an adventure like this, travelling half way around the world through different countries, continents and regimes."

Matthew, also 21, added: "I have never undertaken anything like this before, it will be a real old fashioned challenge, one that we are both very keen to see succeed especially as it is for the common good."

The journey is expected to last five to six weeks.

To learn more about this project visit www.ambulancetomongolia.com where you can see all the details and make a donation.

The pair still needs some vital equipment including spare tyres, waffle boards, trolley jacks and a 12v winch.

If any local businesses or individuals feel able to contribute please contact the team on 07841 120206 or email them at ambulancetomongolia@gmail.com.

Ambulance to Mongolia

Charlie in mercy mission to Mongolia

Burgmeister — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:39:19 -0400

Charlie in mercy mission to Mongolia

- 10 July 2008

A student is preparing to drive 10,000 miles in an ambulance with medical equipment to provide a lifeline for patients in Asia.

Charlie Hogg, 21, of Redbridge Lane West, Wanstead, will travel across Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia and the dirt tracks of Kazakhstan and Mongolia to the outskirts of the Mongolian capital, Ulan Bator.

He and friend Matthew Burgum, 21, from Lancaster University, aim to make the journey in five weeks when they set off on Friday, July 18.

Their aim is to deliver a dual purpose vehicle that can be used as an ambulance and a mobile clinic for vaccinations and screenings in rural areas where most people do not have direct access to medical care.

"We are coming up to the end of our time at university and we both wanted to do something worthwhile," said Charlie, a final year business student.

"It is a country that does not benefit from aid provisions like a lot of African countries do.

"At a time when knife crime is in Ilford, we are trying our best to reverse the image of young people by doing something like this."

Mongolia is a large country with a small population and medical teams often struggle to reach patients with their drugs and medical equipment.

The two friends have been working hard over the past four months to raise funds for their mercy mission.

They have collected £22,000 in total helped by backing from 38 companies.

"The ambulance is an ex-NHS vehicle," explained Charlie, who attended Forest School, College Place, Snaresbrook.

"We purchased it for £2,200 from a car dealer up north."

The pair are being helped by the charity Go Help, which is organising the ambulance's duty-free entry into Mongolia and arrangements at the clinic when they arrive.

"We will be based with the vehicle for a few weeks, showing them around it because we have got to know it and the equipment quite well," said Charlie.

Leytonstone company Unsworth Global Logistics is among the sponsors of the trip.

To see more pictures and learn more about their journey, visit www.ambulancetomongolia.com.

Ambulance to Mongolia

An ambulance to Mongolia

Burgmeister — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:42:53 -0400

Two students approached Stanfords for help with an intrepid journey overland from the UK to Mongolia – by ambulance. How could we refuse?

Charlie Hogg and Matthew Burgum, both 21, will drive unaided on the 10,000 miles from England to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, where they will donate the ex-NHS ambulance, plus some much-needed medical supplies, to a hospital.

Charlie said, “We were trying to come up with an adventure for a once in a lifetime post-university trip. We decided first that we would enter the Mongol Rally, but then the idea changed and the project became somewhat more worthwhile when we thought it would be a good idea to drive an ambulance there, which will serve our needs for the trip but then also something good can be passed on to the people of Mongolia.”

The students, from Lancaster University, expect their voyage across France, Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, to take up to five weeks and know there are some challenges waiting ahead. They admit, “We are sure that we have not thought of every challenge we can potentially face, but we can expect to be extorted at border crossings, harassed by the Ukrainian authorities for no other reason than having a British plated vehicle, breakdowns, and getting stuck in sand and mud, as the paved roads run out about halfway through the trip.”

Charlie and Matthew decided to approach Stanfords for a supply of maps to cover their route. Charlie explained, “Stanfords are an internationally recognised producer of maps and guides, and having researched the maps we need, their name kept popping up and this is why we approached them. No other single supplier appeared to cater for all our cartographic needs.”

The students are now in the late stages of preparation, ready to set off on 18th July. They said, “Neither of us has attempted a journey by road of this magnitude before and as such it truly will be an adventure. We cannot wait for the day we reach Ulaanbaatar knowing that we have completed the project successfully, and can donate the ambulance to a hospital… We expect once we have completed this journey we will want to do another!”

Follow the progress of the ambulance to Mongolia on their website: www.ambulancetomongolia.com.

Author: Rachel Ricks
Date: 17 April 2008

Ambulance to Mongolia