Herefordshire funding boost to help Ukrainian refugees

Herefordshire Council will divide the funding between nine different community organisations

A further £713,000 is to be spent over the next year in Herefordshire in a bid to help bring more Ukrainian refugees to the county.

The government-funded scheme is intended to support existing community efforts, but also to encourage new projects and activities.

The scheme is to be delivered via nine different community organisations.

It is set to support refugees with training, mental health and wellbeing, and general resettlement.

Herefordshire Council will distribute its Support for Ukraine Community Integration grants to the following organisations from the start of February through to January next year:

• Hereford Help for Ukraine (£99,887)

• Hereford Diocesan Board of Finance (£94,168)

• HVOSS (Herefordshire Voluntary Organisations Support Service) (£93,759)

• Herefordshire MIND (£81,980)

• Halo Leisure Services (£67,937)

• South Wye Development Trust (£64,792)

• ETHOS (Extending The hand Of Support) (£64,222)

• St Peter and St James Church, Hereford (£55,200)

• Hereford Help for Ukraine (further project) (£54,421)

• HVOSS young people pilot project (£20,891)

• Herefordshire Football Association (£15,649).

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago, 750 Ukrainians have arrived in Herefordshire through the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme, about three in ten of them children.

With no end to the conflict in sight, "there are still more Ukrainians seeking to move to the UK, but this is limited by the number of hosts who are available", the county council said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.