British team in Mongol Rally donates ambulance to Darkhan hospital

Three British participants have returned home after delivering an ambulance to a hospital in Mongolia, at the end of the 16,000-km Mongol Rally in which they drove the ambulance through Germany, Poland, and Russia, before arriving in Ulaanbaatar. The three men, named Team Alliance, had been inspired to take part in the rally after one of them befriended the families of Mongolian acrobats, and decided to do something to help Mongolian health services.

They delivered the former NHS vehicle, which they bought at auction, to a hospital in Darkhan, 220 km north of the capital. They were met by civic dignitaries and a television crew, and after a tour of the town, drove the ambulance to the hospital, where it was handed over to senior medical staff. The team also visited the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation Blue Skies orphanage, where they gave out lollipops and chewing gum, prompting a spontaneous football match.

Team Alliance took part in the Mongol Rally to raise money for three charities – The Rainbow Trust, which provides support to families of children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses, the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, which works with under-privileged children around the world, and Mercy Corps, which provides humanitarian aid in Africa. They have nearly reached their target of raising £500 for each charity.