Residents are thanked for their accommodation by grateful Ukrainians

Numbers show that in West Norfolk, almost 200 people have opened up their homes to accommodate 400 Ukrainian guests – 134 of whom are children.These people have provided shelter, safety and friendship for Ukrainians who have fled from their country during the war with Russia.The guests were able to hold an event at Lynn Town Hall last Thursday to thank their hosts for their accommodation.

The mayor of Lynn and West Norfolk, Cllr Paul Bland, attended the event alongside cabinet member Cllr Jo Rust.In his welcome speech, the mayor said: “The town hall is a historic place which has been a centre of international relations for many hundreds of years as peoples from all over Europe have come here to trade and form relationships with the folk of Lynn and West Norfolk.”Cllr Rust added: “The video our Ukrainian families recorded that thanked our hosts was very moving, we saw the amazing impact our hosts have made on their lives.”

After the formation of the Lynn Welcome Centre in 2022, the Ukrainian community has become a large part of West Norfolk.West Norfolk continues to show its support for Ukraine via its plan to hold a third annual independence day later this month.

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