A GROUP supporting Ukrainian refugees in Southampton has gone from strength to strength with a new home.

The Southampton Ukrainian Community Support Group has now moved to the Vedic Society Hall on Radcliffe Road.

The group returned after a break over August - with the Lord Mayor of Southampton,  Councillor Jacqui Rayment, Sheriff Cllr Valerie Laurent and the Leader of Southampton City Council, Satvir Kaur, in attendance at the opening.

Jane Cattell, 68, from Swaythling, is hosting a family at her home.

She said: “It’s been really good because they have become more independent, and autonomous and they go wherever they want but we still occasionally do things together.

“It’s not like they’re forced to go where I go and we have to do things together. If they want to do things differently, they can.”

“They are very independent and if they want to go somewhere they get the bus and they travel around and go to places.”

She added: “I’m happy with how it’s going and so are they, so it’s going well.”

Cllr Jacqui Rayment praised those supporting people from Ukraine. She said the Vedic Society had "opened their doors and allowed people to use this hall, which gives them so much space and opportunity to do a variety of activities for them to enjoy".

She added: “I’m delighted that Southampton has opened its arms to Ukrainians and I’m that there’s an opportunity for them to build a community here in Southampton.”

Cllr Kaur said: “As a city, we are great because of our diversity rather than in spite of it and as a city we completely stand shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people and community that are making Southampton their home - whether that’s temporary or long term.”

Melanie Tudjaroglu, who heads up the support group said: “We’ve had two weeks' break and people have come back and they have been waiting for this day because they’ve met their friends and family they have made as part of the group.

“They’ve got a sense of belonging, they feel safe, and they feel like they can be listened to and it’s important they that they’re able to have that connection with each other.”

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