Mayfield Ukrainian Support Hub gives out quilt Christmas donations

The Mayfield and Five Ashes Community Services (MAYFACS) set up a Ukraine Support Hub in April 2022 to ensure Ukrainians in the local area did not feel isolated or lonely.

On Friday, December 16, the Ukrainian guests were invited into the hub at 10am.

A MAYFACS spokesperson said: “The Support Hub has been a vital and safe place for our guests to visit – to get the essential items they need, to gain support and information for their time in the UK, and to build a connection with each other as well as within their new community.

“The Hub has run every week since April, and is supported by a team of volunteers. We have been visited by key government departments, local and county councillors, and large support agencies keen to understand what has been done in local areas.”

The quilts were made by a Hailsham resident, who made one for each of the families supported by the hub.

HAVE YOU READ THIS?

Sussex mother 'embarrassed' after being refused alcohol in Aldi

South East Water update: Crowborough’s Arlington tankers empty

East Sussex residents asked to reduce their water usage after pipes burst in the cold weather

The spokesperson said: “She wants them not only to keep our guests warm and safe, but also as a gift and a memory of their time in our country to take home with them when they can finally return. They have literally been her life’s work and she is over the moon to have this cause to support with them.”

During March 2022, the UK Government introduced two new visa routes to allow persons affected by the war in Ukraine to come to the UK. More than 115,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK since.