You are all aware of the huge suffering by the Ukrainians under the attacks from Russia. Millions of people have been forced to leave their homes and country with no idea whether they will be able to return, or what they might return to.
As you know the UK government has instigated a program to support refugees that wish to come to the UK by providing accommodation and support within local communities.
As a village we are sure that we can help, whether that be with accommodation of families or support for refugees by way of donations, education, or simply to be a shoulder to lean on!
The parish council held an extraordinary meeting this evening to discuss how we may approach this.
We discussed several options as below.
- Temporarily modifying the Reading Room to a accommodate up to two adults and children. This would involve installing washing facilities and various ongoing costs (utilities, insurance etc)
- Compiling a list of parishioners that are willing to host Ukrainian families and also those that are willing to support host families, for example providing clothing, food, transportation, assistance with schooling and integration into the community. Further details on the scheme can be found on the government website https://homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk/
- Co-ordination with surrounding villages and contributing to programs already in place.
- Providing support abroad to families that have taken in refugees locally.