Brighton Lifeline Humanitarian Aid is part of a network of small locally-run groups, and is excited to be developing an organisation which will link these groups more effectively with the resources available to the voluntary sector: the Humanitarian Aid Volunteers Network. You can find out more by contacting us.

Our most important partner organisation is Bear Essential Aid, based in Horsham, West Sussex. Our trips to Ukraine are always run in conjunction with BEA, who have over 40 trips' experience. BEA supports a number of individuals who wish to join in for occassional trips, and we are very grateful to them for introducing us to the volunteers at the Aratta centre for children & youth in Chernigov, Ukraine. You can contact Bob Chase of BEA on +44 (0)1403 256941.

One of our earliest groups of partners was Tewkesbury Independent Aid. Formed out of the same sense of urgency, and at the same time as Brighton Lifeline, TIA joined us on the first trip to Macedonia and continue to work with us and with BEA. You can contact Roger Laycock of TIA on +44 (0)1684 292575.

One of the first organisations to take aid into Kosova was Workers' Aid, who delivered aid and support to Bosnia, Albania, and Kosova throughout the 1990s. Their drive was solidarity (rather than being a direct aid organisation) but they acted as an important part of our learning curve and helped us get the aid through - and make great connections. A film of our first arrival in Kosova has been produced by Rachel Robertson and can potentially be used to help with fundraising efforts. If you would like to see or show it, please ask.

Previously we have also worked in a similar way with British Humanitarian Aid, of Canterbury, who have introduced many disparate people to the aid convoy experience! Having worked in the Balkans during the conflicts in Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia, and then also in Kosova, BHA now continue their work with the Aratta centre in Ukraine.

Our July / August 1999 convoy to Kosova and Albania was funded by Aberdeen University Students' Representative Council. One of the team behind that trip was Simon Varwell, who has recently revisited those countries as part of an expedition from Scotland to Cairo! You may find his travel diaries rather amusing...

We have also been involved in supporting and advising Millenium Commission awardees who received funds from the "On The Line" initiative and worked in Burkina Faso, Africa.

Most recently we have provided consultancy for two groups keen to take aid and friendship to the people of Iraq, although we have no plans to travel there ourselves; sadly each new crisis in the world does nothing to mitigate the need in the countries we are already committed to supporting.

Finding it hard to keep up with Eastern European events when there isn't a "good story" for the newspapers to print? We thoroughly recommend the BBC World Service: visit the BBC News website. For Russian and Ukrainian updates, try the Russian news agency Rosbalt.

Our internet site is hosted free of charge by Ticiraco and produced by Kieran Turner.