It was really good to catch up with the Ukrainian families being hosted in Worthing and Adur at a meeting organised by the Ukrainian Friends Network at the Ardington Hotel last Saturday. Thanks to the good work of Mike Tyler and his team there is a great deal of support available including English lessons that are now being expanded.
I was joined by Adur Council Chairman Andy McGregor and Worthing councillor Hazel Thorpe and we took over 2 hours of questions on national and local issues after a rousing rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem. We also spoke about organising a jobs fair aimed at Ukrainians and extra support for pupils in local schools. Whilst things have been going the way of the Ukrainians it is likely that the war may drag on for some time, and the indiscriminate missile strikes against civilian structures beyond the area of conflict in the south-east of the country make it hard for refugees to return.
Subsequently accommodation hosted by local people is still very much needed. Whilst most people have generously extended their hospitality beyond the initial 6 months, some hosts have regretfully not been able to due to changing circumstances. The Government has increased the monthly payments available to host families to £500 to help offset additional costs and if you have any spare room that you think you could offer up for at least 6 months then please do let the local council know. Our Ukrainians guests hugely appreciate the support they have had from Brits but that need is ongoing.
Peter Bottomley and I were briefed this week about the latest proposals for junction improvements on the A27 between Offington Corner and Sompting, which are not the long-term solution but in most cases should help ease some of the congestion. The consultation goes live on Monday and there will be 8 local events to encourage people to give their views which I strongly urge everyone to do and I will put a special section on my website with the details.
