A man from the island is helping to deliver emergency vehicles to Ukraine.

Tomasz Sagal, who lives in St Mark’s, will be travelling with colleagues from Microsoft in the UK to take some donated NHS ambulances and other vehicles to those who need them.

He is a solution specialist at the technology company and in his job covers NHS customers, helping them to get the most from new technologies like AI and automation.

The team of eight Microsoft staff will drive four vehicles from Oxford to Lviv. They will be used in treating the wounded, evacuating casualties and providing medical care. The vehicles are ‘all ex NHS and end of service life’ (over 300,000 miles) but ‘still usable’. Mr Sagal and his team set off on Friday, June 9.

‘We are going to help turn them into battlefield ambulances and refrigerated units for recovering fallen soldiers,’ Mr Sagal, who is also a former Royal Air Force engineer and police detective, said. ‘I heard the Ukrainian ambassador speak at a recent Microsoft event and then I volunteered for this.

‘There is now an urgent requirement there to deliver the vehicles and emergency medicines. I wanted to do something more than feel sorry for people there.’

He added: ‘I have been overwhelmed with the kindness of people supporting us, we have raised nearly £3,500 in just a few days which will make a massive difference to the four ambulances we are taking on Friday.’

The team embarking on the journey are so far self-funding the trip, so donations are welcomed. These can be monetary or donations of medical supplies that are needed, which are listed on their JustGiving page.

Find it by searching ‘Weʼre raising £5,000 to deliver UK donated ambulances and support vehicles with medical kit to Ukraine’.