How a community centre in Halifax has helped make Ukrainian refugees feel at home

The warm welcome space at King’s Church has kitchen and café facilities for hot meals and drinks and is open every day of the week for anyone in need of free warmth and social interaction.

On Tuesdays the space becomes a classroom for English lessons for a group of Ukrainian refugees that first moved to Calderdale in 2022, although they also use the space for social events and parties.

In January everybody joined together to celebrate a Ukrainian Christmas with a choir, carols and poems, celebrating the growing friendship with the Ukrainian group.

Paul Blakey, operations and development manager, said: “At a talent night where the Ukrainian choir performed, one of the leaders of the church said that the Ukrainian community had won our hearts.

"It has been a pleasure to not only welcome this new community to our area, but to develop friendships and celebrate with them as they become valued members of our community.”

Ivan Kuzio, Director of Ukrainians in Calderdale, said: “The King's Centre was a very welcome space for the new Ukrainian arrivals to Calderdale. From the very beginning of the invasion of Ukraine February 2022 we have worked together.

“Initially the King's centre allowed us a space to store humanitarian aid in addition to classrooms for displaced Ukrainians to learn English.

“In April we collaborated with the King's centre to hold a Ukrainian Easter breakfast. In January 2023 we joined the King's centre in celebrating Christmas with Ukrainian choir made up of displaced people from Ukraine.

“We still meet at the King's Centre on a Tuesday when possible as many are now working and are contributing to those who helped them.

“We would have been truly lost without the assistance, generosity and camaraderie of all those at the King's Centre.”

More than five million people have fled across borders to seek safety since Russia deployed its military into neighbouring Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Bombs and shelling have continued to escalate, targeting homes and civilian infrastructure in what could become the worst humanitarian crisis Europe has seen in decades.