Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, welcomed four Ukrainian refugees who are living in Beverley to Westminster for a tour of the Houses of Parliament.
Since the awful war in Ukraine started exactly a year ago, Graham has worked to ensure Beverley and Holderness is a safe and welcoming place for people fleeing Ukraine. He has personally assisted over thirty refugees in obtaining approval to enter the UK and encourages anyone in our area who has fled the war and needs any assistance to contact him, no matter how small the issue.
Olena Yershova and her family are some of the people he has had the privilege to help find refuge. They live in Beverley and left Ukraine in March 2022 due to the damage caused by the conflict. Prior to the war, Olena worked in the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs in Kyiv and in the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Olena is also an artist and, in November, her work was included in the art exhibition ‘Hope and Light’, which took place at Beverley Minster in support of Ukraine.
During their visit to London, Olena and her family received a tour of Parliament. They were proud to stand on the same steps in the historic Westminster Hall as the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky when, earlier this month, he addressed members of both Houses of Parliament. Olena and her family spoke to Graham about their homeland, the generous hospitality they received from the people of Beverley, and their thanks for the work both he and the British Government have done to help them in their time of need.
After meeting Graham, Olena said: “It was wonderful to receive a tour of this amazing place and to have the opportunity to speak to Graham about our experiences in Beverley. We are very grateful for everything he has done to help so many people from Ukraine, it really is appreciated.”
Graham commented: “I was delighted to meet Olena and her family in Westminster Hall just a few days after President Zelensky gave an historic address to Parliament. I am pleased that, at a time of tragedy for them and their friends in Ukraine, they have found safety in Beverley. It has been a privilege to help over thirty Ukrainian refugees obtain approval to enter the UK and I am always happy to help anyone who is based in Beverley and Holderness after leaving Ukraine in any way I can.”
If you or anyone you know in Beverley and Holderness needs any assistance in matters relating to the War in Ukraine, please email Graham at [email protected] and he will be happy to help if he can.
