MEDICS have embarked on the adventure of a lifetime as they drive 5,000 miles to Mongolia.

Three final year students are driving a donated ambulance that recently retired from service, to deliver it to paramedics facing a critical shortage of emergency vehicles.

The Oxford University clan will cross continents over the course of three weeks, and stay in Mongolia for two months to work in local hospitals and offer English lessons.

Among the trio is Jennifer Southern, 25, who came up with the idea.

The Cowley resident said: "We've been planning the project for more than a year. It's a huge relief to have put exams behind us and to have qualified.

"Between revision and this project, we've had little time for anything else – but it's been worth it. Now we can focus on getting to Mongolia in one piece."

The ambulance was donated by South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) and began its journey from Oxford on Sunday, and has been nicknamed 'Ula' by the medics in a nod to their final destination.

They will journey across rugged terrain through Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Russia, ending up in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.

Miss Southern helped to rally funds for the trip by having her long hair chopped into a bob, donating the locks and £100 to the Little Princess Trust while saving the remaining £700 raised for the project.

Fellow graduate Emily McFiggans, 24, said she was 'incredibly grateful' for the support from SCAS and other organisations.

Miss McFiggans, who lives in Oxford city centre, added: "We are really humbled by everyone's generosity."

Cowley resident Alex Blakes, 25, makes up the final member of the team.

The group will collaborate with student-run charity Medics2Mongolia when they reach the country, and have already crossed the channel into France.

Speaking yesterday Miss McFiggans said: "It's all going incredibly smoothly so far, the other truckers were very nice to us on the train. It's going swimmingly."

SCAS worker Phil Pimlott, director of operational quality and compliance, said: "This ambulance has reached retirement age, but it's in great working order. It's nice to know that it will be put to good use by the charity."

A post on the group's travel blog adds: "Without their [SCAS'] help, this project couldn't happen. They have been incredibly helpful with all the logistics, and have been full of optimism and support for our project from the offset."

The team has raised £2,000 for charity Go Help, which funds projects in central Asia, and another £8,000 for the costs of the trip through travel grants and bursaries.

To track their progress visit mongoliaambulanceproject.wordpress.com or visit gofundme.com/going-short to donate.