Ipswich Ukraine support group helping 150 people build a new life in Suffolk
The group is just one of many across the county helping people who've fled the conflict.
Last updated 6th Oct 2022
A Ukraine support group in Ipswich is supporting around 150 refugees with classes to help them integrate and build a new life in Suffolk.
Together For Ipswich has also held group trips for refugees and helps them solve issues they may experience with host families.
They offer English classes, as well as a support group and even the chance for refugees to learn sewing.
Alan Cutting, who leads the group, said: "We've done community hubs which provide English lessons, sewing lessons and social interaction (as well as) peer support for the Ukrainians.
"As you can imagine when you're thrown together in a traumatic situation suddenly and with people they don't know
"There are a number of issues which we can perhaps help with to make those relationships work a bit better, but those are some of the things we've been doing.
"And I would think we have a meaningful relationship with about 150 newly arrived Ukrainians."
Alan also told us the group helps to iron out problems between refugees and their hosts in Suffolk:
"It's complex really, that host-guest relationship can be very intense. If they were just sitting in someone's home they'd never met before, you can imagine it would be too intense.
"So we've tried to do these community hubs and different settings that enable the Ukrainian community to meet with one another as space to speak their own language, compare notes.
"And so that's part of the process giving space and opportunity and peer support to them."
Most of the refugees arrived in the UK with little or no knowledge of English.
But, thanks to English classes run by the voluntary group in Ipswich many are now able to hold full conversations.
Some are even looking for new homes or jobs using their new language skills.
Alan said: "Many of those Ukrainians are intentionally studying English every single day in some context or another, either live or online and really encouraged that they do so.
"And it's wonderful to see someone who could hardly communicate two months ago now able to hold it down a good conversation, even complete CV and go for a job interview.
"Now that's that's wonderful. Very fulfilling to see that."
The group in Ipswich is one of many across Suffolk supporting local refugees. Many are based around churches or community halls.
Alan said: "I've really enjoyed the relationships and to see the way that relationships have come together to see a community that has grown.
"I'm very pleased that possibly for the first time in any realistic or tangible way, those, not every one of the 88 churches, but a good handful of them, have found some practical way of working together rather than in isolation.
"You know, some have gifts and some have needs and some have limitations. There's a good jigsaw puzzle, you know, being fit together now where we're really listening to it one another as a Christian community learning how to work together."