North Yorkshire man becomes homeless to fund aid trips to Ukraine
A North Yorkshire man has become homeless so that he could fund a series of humanitarian aid trips to Ukraine.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Michael Betoin decided to give up his home and spent more than £10,000 of his own money to fund aid trips to the country.
Currently living in a tent at a campsite in Goathland in the North Yorkshire Moors, Mr Betoin is planning his fifth trip to Ukraine. He will set off on 3 September.
He told ITV News Tyne Tees he felt he had no choice but to become homeless when the war began. He said: "The decision was to really give all that up and try and live more simply and more basically, so I could devote my life to actually trying to do something to help Ukraine, it’s as simple as that.
"When this war started, I mean, I felt horror like everybody else and as I sat there, I just had this overwhelming feeling that I had to do something and once I’d started, it just felt like the mission. Then I kind of realised about six months ago that this is my life’s mission now."
During his time in Ukraine, he has made, and lost, friends. Some are still fighting in the Ukrainian army.
Operating mainly in the Kharkiv area and Bakhmut, he's also delivered aid on the frontline in the Donbas. He said the people in Ukraine are so grateful for the support British people have provided.
"I get hugged by soldiers who thank me, so it tells you the level of support that we provide from Yorkshire, how important it is for them," he said.
On his latest trip, he is taking aid for babies and children. He said the Ukrainian charity he works closely with is getting 1,000 requests a month for items like nappies, baby wipes, baby food and formula, but they can only provide items for around 300 families.
He said: "We’re taking urgent supplies for babies and children down to the villages, repatriated or people who haven’t been able to leave. The most desperate of people.
"A lot of babies and children that are going without and you can’t explain to them that they can’t have food or that there is no medical for them. We’ve got to give them priority, so we focus primarily on that."
Michael asked people in Scarborough to donate aid money and items instead of sending him presents for his 58th birthday in August. He made over £2,000 to buy the baby and children items and has been sponsored to stay in Ukraine for three months, meaning he will no longer have to sleep in his aid car during his stay, as he has done on previous trips.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...