Latest News About Help For Ukraine

At a collection in the town centre at the beginning of March, Rotarians from King’s Lynn Priory were able to collect a massive £5,000 for the Ukraine relief fund from a very supportive public. Subsequently, a further £1,200 was forthcoming in Gift Aid, and this was given to the Hanseatic Union, who are helping supply the needs of Ukrainian refugees who have settled in Lynn.

Receiving the cheque, Julie Chaplin, from the Hanseatic Union, said “We have been working with the Ukrainian refugees ever since the very first people arrived in Lynn. An initiative of the West Norfolk Borough Council was to set up a welcome centre at the council offices, and we have been manning that space on behalf of the council since March. We have seen all kinds of hardship and distress, but also now signs that people are relaxing slightly, starting to settle and feel more at home in our area. Part of this process has been moving into properties that they are renting privately. The money from the Priory Rotarians will go a long way towards helping families set up homes. In the absence of their own families, we have been able to source second hand furniture and household goods, to help make their properties into homes. These lovely people did not choose to come here, they were forced to leave their own homes because of the war, and this donation, plus other gifts from the Rotarians, will help us take a small step to building a life in our local communities.”

Pictured are Priory President Jonathan Holmes and International Committee member Ken Johnson handing the cheque to Julie Chaplin and Jurate Smulkiene of the Hanseatic Union.

Priory Rotary have separately also donated £250 to the iCafe, which was re-started in April by Andy Moyles of the Gateway Church with the aim of helping refugees and other migrants to meet up, make friends and learn conversational English. Andy said “The first week we welcomed 12 guests, who were Ukrainian refugees. The weekly café has since grown to 30 guests and so we now run it twice on Tuesday mornings and afternoons in 90 min sessions. We are planning a Christmas Party on Tuesday 20th December for about 30 adults and a similar number of children. This donation from Priory Rotary will be a great help with the costs of catering and gifts for the children.”