The Builders Merchants Federation is launching a national campaign, calling on its members and their customers to support the Ukraine crisis.

The BMF, which represents 770 merchant and supplier companies across the UK, has set up a dedicated JustGiving page to raise vital funds at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/builders-merchants-federation-ltd

Chief Executive of the BMF, John Newcomb, is also co-ordinating a pan-European approach, calling for support from the building materials industry across the Continent.

John is putting out the appeal in his position as the current President of UFEMAT, the international trade body for the building materials industry in Europe.

In his position as President of UFEMAT, he has been in touch with his industry representative in Kyiv, to establish what is needed to help.

John said: “We’ve been told by our contact in Kyiv that warm clothing is one of the things which is urgently required.

“Our members play a key role in the community and the unique nature of their work, and their stock of equipment such as workwear, puts them in a good position to help get much needed supplies over to Ukraine.

“As a result, we are currently orchestrating a national response, working with our members to get this over to Ukraine as soon as possible.

“In the meantime, our focus is on raising funds through our BMF Just Giving page, and, in Europe, a UFEMAT page too.

“As President of UFEMAT, I am contacting all our members across Europe to support the appeal.

“The builders’ merchants and building materials sector is very generous, both in the UK and Europe, and we are hopeful that a significant amount of funding will be donated to the appeal, and that warm clothing is also provided too.”

The BMF has built an area on its website to keep people up to date with the latest news and developments. Details will be added shortly on how to donate warm clothing through the BMF channels. It can be found at www.bmf.org.uk/Ukraine_Appeal