A year on from Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine, Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, visited two Ukrainian refugees living in Holderness.
Over the last year, Graham has ensured Beverley and Holderness is a welcoming place for people fleeing Ukraine and has helped over thirty refugees settle in the UK. He also welcomed four Ukrainian refugees who are living in Beverley to Westminster for a tour of the Houses of Parliament, meeting them on the same steps where the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, addressed members of both Houses of Parliament.
Last September, Adrian and his wife, Joy, generously opened their home to Sofiia and Olha, two Ukrainian friends who fled their country. Following their arrival in Holderness, Graham gave them advice on how to access the welfare and healthcare they are entitled to. Sofiia is now taking English classes and Olha is studying for a university degree.
Graham was accompanied on his visit by Samantha Whyte, a council candidate for Mid Holderness. During their visit to the family’s home, Graham learned more about the hardship Olha and Sofiia experienced in Ukraine and the kind hospitality Adrian and Joy have given them over the last few months.
After meeting Olha and Sofiia, Graham commented: “After Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, people across Beverley and Holderness opened their hearts to the Ukrainian people. A year on it was humbling to meet Olha and Sofiia to hear how they have adapted to life in the UK, helped enormously by their generous hosts Adrian and Joy and the whole community. We all know how welcoming our community in Yorkshire is, and the hospitality displayed by Beverley and Holderness residents over the last year only highlights this.”
Following Graham’s visit to their home, Olha and Sofiia: "It was wonderful to meet the local MP Graham Stuart to tell him about our experiences over the last year. We have been amazed at the hospitality people in Swine have shown us, especially Adrian and Joy who have welcomed us into their home with such generosity and kindness."
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.
