Galashiels tyre company goes flat out in support of Ukraine

Ostles, the independent tyre specialist based on the Currie Road Industrial Estate, has partnered with West Linton-based Cavalry Garage Services and other local firms to provide vital aid to the people of Ukraine.

In a bid to help, Ostles has provided drop-off points for public donations and transportation support.

The donations – which have now been distributed in Ukraine – were transported across four vans in total, travelling the whole distance from Scotland to the Polish/Ukrainian border by a convoy of drivers.

To ensure donations could be successfully transported across Europe, Lancashire-based Davanti Tyres – a supplier to Ostles – donated a set of its all-season van tyres, Vantoura 4-Seasons, to comply with the winter tyre legislation still in effect throughout many European countries.

Humbled by the overwhelming amount of support and donations given by the local community, Angela Elliot, from Ostles, said: “We put it on our social media that we were going to be a drop off point, and in all honesty we weren’t expecting the volume we got. We filled our transit van four times. It was the most humbling week I think I’ve ever done at work.

“We were inundated with clothes so we had to restrict the amount of clothing we could gather. There was a lot of food, feminine products, hygiene products, medical stuff went over, dog food, baby food, baby clothes, nappies. It was phenomenal.”

Sean Maddocks, sales director for Davanti Tyres, UK & Ireland, said: “When we first heard about what Ostles and the Galashiels community were doing to help the people of Ukraine, we jumped at the opportunity to support of their efforts. We knew the donations would need to be delivered by road and that it was important for the drivers to be equipped with appropriate tyres for the duration of their journey, so we were delighted to be able to provide them with all-season tyres that meet European winter tyre legislation.”

Special thanks go to Cavalry Garage Services, with Angela adding: “The guys at Cavalry Garages Services, they are the ones that deserve the thanks for having the confidence to go forward and do it in the first place, and then everybody else that helped implement plans.”

“People just want to help and we are in the same boat where we feel so helpless, so when the team at Cavalry had said we can get a drop-off point, it was the least we could do and try and help them and the Ukrainian people. I think we were all in tears at some point.”

Ostles has plans to donate even more aid, with donations still being taken. For more information visit the Ostles Facebook page at www.facebook.com/www.galashielstyres.co.uk/