As the war in Ukraine is approaching its one-year anniversary, with no end in sight to the fighting or the suffering, Northumberland County Council is extending a heartfelt thank you to residents who opened their homes, or helped in their own way, the refugees who have fled their homeland. 
 

Currently the county has 160 hosts providing a safe and much needed home for 460 refugees, of whom 177 are children. 

As the war continues, more Ukranian refugees could be arriving in the county over coming months. Another 97 visas have been issued - giving them permission to come to Northumberland if they wish – and an additional 41 have been confirmed (which means they are being processed prior to being issued). 
 

Councillor Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council said: 

“This week the world is marking the one-year anniversary when Putin invaded the beautiful country of Ukraine and brought tragedy and devastation to so many. 
 

“My thoughts, like all of ours, are with the Ukranian people who are continuing to experience incomprehensible trauma and upset in their lives and have been displaced by the conflict which has destroyed their homeland and their livelihoods. 
 

“I wanted to also take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to the residents of Northumberland - to all the hosts, sponsors, volunteers, schools and local organisations across the county who have opened up their homes or helped in so many other important ways. 

“Their extreme generosity at a time of real need has been remarkable and we are so proud that Northumberland is a place where people have been provided safety, friendship, support and hospitality. “ 
 

“As a council and as a community we will continue to step forward and help in any way we can to support Ukranian people who are living through this most horrific time.” 
 

The County Council has an experienced Asylum Seeker & Refugee team who are skilled in supporting the integration of refugees into life in the UK and working with those who have experienced war and trauma.  
 

The team are continuing to support the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and helping those who have arrived in the country to navigate welfare systems, access key services and understand the support that is available from the council and other partners. They can also advise on the housing options that are available if guests need to seek their own accommodation. An English speaking Ukranian refugee has been employed by the county council to help the team with this important work.  
 

Meanwhile, the Education and Skills service has added a Ukrainian member of staff to its English as an Additional Language team who has been working closely with schools and staff to support new refugee arrivals. Her language skills and personal insight into the Ukrainian culture and education system have been a real asset to this team.  
 

The team has also compiled a wealth of free and accessible online information, translations and resources, while schools have accessed bespoke training on welcoming refugee arrivals into primary and secondary settings. 
 

For the older refugees who aren’t in the school system, the county council’s Northumberland Skills team has been running very popular English classes at its campuses at Byth, Hexham, Alnwick and Berwick. 
 

The team have been working hard to support the refugees and to teach them to communicate effectively to progress and enrich their lives in the UK. 
 

When the war first broke out over 130 tonnes of aid was donated by Northumberland residents.  

Donations included first aid kits, personal hygiene products, baby items including milk powder and nappies, tinned and dried food, clothing, warm blankets, sleeping bags. 
 

These were all taken to a central warehouse in Northumberland where staff from the council and Northumberland Fire & Rescue Service worked alongside volunteers to sort, pack and prepare the aid before it was transported to Ukraine. 
 

Many other communities sorted their own collections and relief efforts, while others made monetary donations to organisations supporting the relief effort. 
 

In March 2022 Northumberland Fire & Rescue Service (NFRS) donated two older fire appliances to help support the Ukrainian Fire Service and these were driven over to Poland by members of its team.  
 

NFRS also supported a second national convoy in May 2022, when a team delivered three further vehicles to the Polish/Ukraine border. Both convoys were organised by FireAid and the National Fire Chiefs' Council.