Remember buying ‘an extra item’ at Hedge End’s Sainsbury’s in September? Or did you donate shoes or clothes to be taken out to the people of Kosovo?

Well, last week the team from charity Hope and Aid returned from their trip to Kosovo and as Joint Southern Area Team Leader John Desty put it, they were ‘tired and exhausted but with the euphoria of a job well done.’

On 9 October two 7.5 ton trucks from this area joined a convoy carrying altogether 90 tons of food, clothing, bedding, shoes, toys and medical equipment.

Crossing Europe was straight forward until they arrived at the Hungarian/Serbian border where a 40 ton arctic was refused entry to Serbia because on board was 10 tons of Uncle Ben’s Rice and the parent company’s certificate stating the rice was fit for consumption was deemed unacceptable. Many international calls – and much string-pulling later – and a DEFRA (and acceptable) certificate was produced.

Once in Kosovo the team spent their time driving to villages and centres distributing the food and aid.

Finding shoes can be a real problem to the poor of Kosovo – often they will cut out the back from a too-small pair to make shoes fit. Thanks to the donations from the UK the team was able to give decent shoes to people who really need them.

One of the team remembers in particular, ‘At the last drop there was a gentleman who clearly had learning problems. He wasn't on the list but was obviously in need. All he wanted was a coat and a pair of shoes. We found a really expensive man’s coat that was both waterproof and warm and it fitted him perfectly. Whoever had given this coat had filled every pocket with socks, gloves, a hat, scarf and other bits and pieces. After looking for a pair of shoes that were the right size we found a pair of nearly new trainers that were slightly too big. This was not going to be a problem to him as he now had 3 pairs of socks from his new coat pockets so he just put all the socks on and the trainers were now the right size.’ (See this gentleman and his new coat and shoes in picture 2.)

The journey home was not without its problems when five volunteer drivers were refused entry into Serbia because the Serbs don't recognise Kosovo – despite a third of Hope and Aid’s aid going to a Serb enclave in Kosovo. The BBC, ITN, Sky News, various MPs and the Conservative leader David Cameron became involved – and finally the returning convoy was allowed through.

In all more than 1,700 families totalling over 6,000 people were given aid, 5,000 pupils in 10 remote schools received school equipment, and various institutions and medical centres also received help and support.