North Wales police officers in fundraiser to set up ambulance service in The Gambia

Special constabulary officers Dan McNulty and Darren Armour are taking part in Operation Zephyr, which involves the delivery of up to 30 ambulances, two fire engines and medical equipment in Banjul, the capital of the West African nation.

The officers each are hoping to raise £2,500 towards the campaign, run by the National Police Aid Charities (NPAC) and International Police Association Section UK, which will contribute towards the funding of equipment aimed at neonatal and adult medical care.

Mr Armour and Mr McNulty - who is also a firefighter for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service – will then join the National Police Aid Convoy on a two-week journey to drive the vehicles and equipment to Banjul in March next year.

The convoy will include up to 30 ambulances, two fire engines and support vehicles.

As well as ambulances and fire engines, donations include medical equipment, radios and uniforms.

The duo’s fundraiser said: “The levels of infant mortality in The Gambia are unacceptably high, they are the seventh highest in the world, and are ranked among the highest in Africa. UNICEF state that over one in 20 children between one month and five years of age die, and one in five new-borns will die within the first four weeks of life. These figures are even higher in rural areas. The manner of those deaths for mother and child do not bear thinking about.

“Additionally, the number of deaths and amputations through late presentation of infected fractures and wounds is unbelievably high. Amputations are unfortunately common and convenient as travel for aftercare in hospital is impossible for complicated injuries.”

The convoy of ambulances and support vehicles will begin in Barcelona and travel down to Gibraltar, before crossing the Strait of Gibraltar and into Morocco.

North Wales Police constabulary officers Dan McNulty and Darren Armour.

It will then travel further south, crossing the Western Sahara – where they may have to “rough it” – before passing through Mauritania and Senegal.

Then, they will enter The Gambia and travel to Banjul, located on the coast, where ambulances will be handed over to be directed to community hospitals across the country.

The fundraising page added: “Dan and I are asking you, in the hope that you would be willing to donate in order to help us raise the £5000 required to help fund this much needed convoy.

“Perhaps you could help with our fuel costs by providing a company fuel card, or by providing much needed equipment, tools or supplies, for the convoy to use or for us to take with us.

“Everything will be left with the Gambian emergency responders.”

The National Police Aid Convoys started in 1993, when a group of police officers used their networks to find and deliver humanitarian aid to places that other NGOs were not able to reach.

Working alongside charities, other projects include helping to create opportunities for the development of skills like carpentry, tailoring, farming, and cycle repair.

Donate to the fundraising page here.