A BOURNEMOUTH man is walking the entire length of the Jurassic Coast to raise money for Ukraine after delivering aid there earlier this year.

Joseph Draper joined a 12-vehicle convoy in March carrying donations to Sofia Sydorenko, an aid worker who runs a network of supply lines from her tiny flat in Lviv.

Compelled to do more, the 24-year-old will be walking more than a hundred miles in four days to raise £1,000.

The vital funds Joseph raises will help Sofia feed and clothe refugees, deliver medical supplies to the frontline, and buy vehicles to evacuate people under siege.

Bournemouth Echo:

Joseph will set off from South Haven Bay near Sandbanks, Dorset on July 16 and aims to complete his marathon-a-day trek in Exmouth, Devon.

Carrying his food and water on his back, he will camp en-route and sleep in a biffy - or waterproof body bag - to save weight.

Joseph, who is originally from Newport, Wales, said: “We were all shocked by the brutality of Russia’s invasion in February.

“But as the war grinds on and the initial shock subsides, it’s easy to lose sight of what is happening.

“I’m trying to keep that initial momentum going so people feel empowered to continue helping.

“The money I raise will go directly to people on the frontline who are risking their lives to help others.”

Just a few months ago, Sofia, 30, ran a zero-waste company.

But after Russia invaded Ukraine in February and her IT designer partner was ordered to take up arms and fight, she built a network of 'freedom fighters' across the country with other women.

Sofia said that six of her drivers were captured by Russians as they helped people to escape Mariupol. Most of them have not been seen since.

Miraculously one of them, Bohdan, survived three months in a Russian filtration in the occupied Donbas region where he was relentlessly beaten and tortured.

Sophia said: "I'm in constant crisis management mode and I never thought I'd have to do that.

"This is an extremely dangerous task. We haven’t heard from most of the drivers who went missing.

“I couldn’t believe Bohdan escaped - we thought there was no hope because he was charged with terrorism.

Sofia has not seen her partner, who cannot be named for his safety, since he left to fight in February.

Sofia added: "Me and my partner bought a bottle of wine on February 23 - the day before the invasion - for our anniversary. We've decided we are going to open it the day he comes back.

"He texts me every day that he is alive and tells me he loves me. We bombard ourselves with work so we don't think about it, so it helps."

To support Sofia’s work, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/walk-4-ukraine