UkrianiHen comes to roost at the Fernhurst Hub

The hen is one of several painted by Zoe Oliver from creative art group Canvassing Happiness and is in the colours of Ukraine’s national flag.

Viktoriia Vitenko who, with her mother in law Vera and her two children, Tim, 11 and Daria, 7, is staying in Fernhurst, has started volunteering at the Fernhurst Hub.

She said: “ I love coming to the Hub after dropping the children at school. Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming and I practise my English while I am working.

"The children feel at home here as well and we come here to meet friends and have an ice cream as a treat sometimes.”

The Hub, a coffee shop and learning centre in the heart of Fernhurst Village, has a regular Thursday afternoon social get together for any Ukrainian guests staying in the wider local area.

These teatime gatherings provide an invaluable chance for displaced families and their hosts to meet up with others and share experiences and information, and to talk in their native language. All are welcome, with no need to book, and tea and home made cake is served free of charge.

The hen will be at the Hub until the early auction of all the Haslemere Hens with money raise being given to local charities and clubs.

The Fernhurst Hub’s language teacher Cecile Greener and colleague Ella are providing weekly English language lessons free of charge to Ukrainians staying locally.

Cecile said: “I am pleased to be able to support these visitors, being able to communicate in English is key to them settling in and being able to find work. Their children are picking the language up quickly at school and Ella and I are encouraging the parents and grandparents to keep up with them.”

The Fernhurst Hub is also acting as a collection point for donations of toiletries and toys to be passed to Petworth Ukrainian Relief, which both transports food and necessities to Ukraine and supports UK based migrants with day-to-day essentials.

HAVE YOU SEEN: 27 Sussex pubs recommended by The Good Pub Guide