British Army veteran Barry Quilliam, owner of Q’s military surplus store in Douglas, is organising another aid mission to Ukraine, including vital medical supplies.

The Derby Road shop proprietor made a trip to the Polish-Ukranian border himself in March, taking van with two other veterans to deliver supplies directly.

Since then, Mr Quilliam has been shipping aid gathered from the island community and collecting it at the store, with this latest run representing about the third van load’s worth of supplies to go out.

Now, he is focusing on getting specialist medical kits together, which contain equipment for treating trauma injuries suffered in war – either by civilians or those defending the country.

So far, 54 kits have been assembled into small pouches.

He explained that these ‘would be needed more than ever’ by the Ukrainian soldiers who will be fighting back against the renewed offensive by the Russian invaders in the eastern part of the country.

Mr Quilliam is able to make use of an efficient ‘logistics chain’ to get the supplies directly into the Ukraine, where the Ukrainians sort it and prioritise where it needs to go.

Pallets of supplies from the island are shipped free of charge by Manx Independent Carriers to its depot in Skelmersdale, where the supplies are transferred to fellow British army veterans – who he came in contact with when he was on his aid trip at the Polish border.

The supplies are then shipped as freight to Ukraine, in a constant flow.

The items needed for the medical kits include trauma bandages, ‘Tuff Cut’ scissors (available locally from St John Ambulance), and tourniquets.

Alternatively, people can donate to Mr Quilliam’s appeal so that he can acquire these at trade prices – with a full kit costing around £30 to assemble. Standard first aid kit items will also be helpful, including expired things – which as long as they are sealed, can still be used rather than going to waste.

‘That’s why I’ve asked for absolutely anything medical related, especially people who have bandages and field dressings, disposable gloves – you only have to look at the civilians that have been injured, when you see them in the makeshift hospitals,’ said Mr Quilliam.

‘They’re all bandaged up, they’re all using basic first aid equipment – but that can make a difference, that can save a life.’

Alongside this Mr Quilliam is still looking for general aid supplies like toiletries.

He explained that things like bars of soap, baby wipes and hand gel were preferable to large liquid items like shampoo and shower gel, being more transportable, as well as requiring less water.

Mr Quilliam noted that 1.5 million people in the Donbas region were without water, and the importance of personal hygiene – with disease killing more people on battlefields than gunshot wounds.

People can drop supplies off at either the shop at 31 Derby Road, Douglas, or Mylchreests Motors. Alternatively people can get in touch to donate on 466094.