Evesham mother spends £16,000 to start Ukraine help hub

Emma Nishigaki, second left, said there was a lack of support once refugees arrived

A mother has spent £16,000 of her own money setting up a help centre for Ukrainian refugees.

Emma Nishigaki, from Evesham, Worcestershire, took in three refugees but said there was not enough support available.

Her hub in the town offers counselling, a clothes bank, translation services, help with school applications, English classes, a party room and kitchen.

So far, she said, more than 100 people had used the services.

"Other hosts who I got in touch with via Facebook, we realised that once [the refugees] arrived, the support stops," Ms Nishigaki said.

"And [the centre] just grew from nothing."

She said she had originally rented the premises in order to start a business, which she decided to suspend to realise the help project.

The rent for the lease, she added, was £10,000, with additional costs accrued through the translation services. Ms Nishigaki is appealing for help to fund the scheme.

• Listen: Evesham Ukrainian Support Hub set up

"It is a very busy place," she said.

"There are days when I haven't got home until 10:30 or 11 at night because [people] are queueing up in the sitting room to come into the office."

Yulia, who has been using facilities at the hub, said it had provided "a lot of support for Ukrainian people".

Oksana, who arrived from Ukraine seven weeks ago, said: "This place is really an incredible opportunity for our community to be together and all this we have thanks to Emma.

"For us it is like fresh air."