Scarborough starts to welcome first Ukrainian refugees into homes
It's taken some weeks to get visas to enable to get to the area
Scarborough has started to welcome the first refugees through the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme.
It has taken some weeks to get visas to enable to get to the area.
Iain Butterworth is accommodating two families each consisting of a mother and two children and it came about because he had business contacts in Ukraine.
He said: "When the war started I was in touch with these individuals. I contact them and said 'look, there's a safe place if you ever need one. I have accommodation here, so just get in touch, my doors are open for you.' It was a few days after the war started that I was approached.
"They're loving it. Scarborough's a great place. I've already taken them down to the beach and they've had an ice-cream at the Harbour Bar. They've had fish and chips and they're just trying to settle into Yorkshire life.
"It still took approximately five weeks for them to get their visas, but then they were provided to them, they had a permit to travel and they arrived into Scarborough this weekend in the early hours of Saturday morning and late Saturday evening.
"It really hit home when I arrived at Doncaster airport because there was a lot of other sponsors waiting there for their guests. There were a lot of Ukrainian flags, a lot of blue and yellow flowers and just a real positive atmosphere. It's quite an emotional time but quite exciting.
"They're absolutely great. They've only been here for a few days but they seem to be so relieved to be in the area because they were living in Poland in pretty poor conditions. They came to the house and the children instantly ran up and down and chose their bedrooms."