Emsworth veteran Matt Simmons founded the Ems4Afghans organisation last year as a way to help the people he worked alongside as an RAF technician in Afghanistan. Now relaunching as the community interest company Bridge to Unity, the organisation is gathering crucial donations to help those in Ukraine. Matt said: “From what we’re hearing is that the borders are being flooded with people. “Kyiv is such a beautiful city and it’s devastating what’s happening. It’s really scary.” Ems4Afghans/Bridge to Unity is hoping to collect donations of medical supplies including bandages and first aid kits, as well as sleeping bags, torches, batteries, power banks, and phones/chargers. Matt said: “I’m going up to Poland next week, by next Sunday, with a load of items. “We’ve linked in with people in Poland and Ukraine - we’re going to try and take as much as we can.’ The group is also launching a fundraising campaign to collect money that will be given to organisations helping at the grassroots level in Ukraine. Matt added: “We are negotiating with companies to help with medical supplies and also funds will be directed to an organisation working on the ground in Ukraine, I’ve listed some other items that have been asked for.” Have you read...? When did Kiev change to Kyiv? Is Kyiv same as Kiev? Kiev or Kyiv pronunciation? Where is Kyiv? To make a donation, contact Ems4Afghans/Bridge to Unity by visiting the Facebook page at facebook.com/Ems4Afghans, or on Twitter at @Ems4Afghans. Find out more about the crowdfunding campaign at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/matt-simmons-1. He said: “In a crisis, it’s nice to see the community come together, but people don’t always know how to help. “People don’t know who to go to so I’ve always been really transparent about where items are going to and how money is being spent. “I really think with our proactive nature and with people behind us, we can make a difference.” Don’t miss... This is how many Russians and Ukrainians we have living in Sussex For the latest breaking news where you live in Sussex, follow us on Twitter @Sussex_World and like us on Facebook @SussexWorldUK