Ukrainian family reunites with Somerset host family

"It's very easy [to have them back here] because they are part of the family"

A family from Ukraine has been reunited with the family that offered them a home when war broke out two years ago.

The Ukrainians have since moved back to their home country, but returned for a 10-day holiday with their host family in Taunton at the start of March.

The two families say they have "created bonds that will last a lifetime".

It comes just after the two year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine.

Yuliia Vitkivska came to Taunton with her two children Sofiia, 14, and Matvii, 7, in 2022, after the war broke out in Ukraine.

"Having children with me was a huge responsibility," Ms Vitkivska said. "Everything I did to escape the war was to get the children to a safe place.

"And there was a constant feeling of anxiety because of my family was back in Ukraine and I didn't know how they're doing."

Ms Vitkivska has since returned to Ukraine and reunited with her husband Max

Ms Vitkivska has since returned to Ukraine and reunited with her husband Max.

She came back to Taunton to visit her host family.

"Surprisingly, everything seems so familiar. I feel like here is a second home," she said.

"It is so different this time, it's a happy moment. Being back here shows me I will be able to come again and stay in touch with this family, and keep this connection.

"They were so welcoming. When we woke up on the first day here, they said we have to treat the house like our home.

"They were always trying to remind me that I was at home and that was huge.

"The main word I will use to describe English people is kindness."

"Everything I did to escape the war was to get the children to a safe place"

Simon Hollington, who together with his wife Anne welcomed Ms Vitkivska's family in 2022, added: "The children didn't know any English at all. But they settled in amazingly well.

"I was thinking: 'If I was in Ukraine, what a challenge that would be!'"

He said they became "part of the family within a couple of weeks".

"It wasn't just us. The whole of Taunton was phenomenal, it was a real community effort," Mr Hollington added.

"It's very easy [to have them back here] because they are part of the family. It's just like it was before.

"It's like family members coming, they know where everything is. When they make a cup of tea, they don't have to ask: 'Where is the tea?'

"I don't think it's anything special we did, we should look after them. It's humanity."