* Ken Skates MS chats with Ukrainian mum and daughter Natali and Alise about some of the issues they have faced since fleeing Kharkiv.
A Member of the Senedd said he was proud of the 'magnificent' efforts of volunteers to welcome Ukrainian refugees to the Ceiriog Valley.
Ken Skates, MS for Clwyd South, met some of those who had fled their homeland and settled in rural Wrexham at Glyn Ceiriog’s Christian Centre last week, where they have their weekly English classes.
He said: “It was a pleasure to meet our guests, and incredibly humbling. It’s fantastic to see how they have settled into life in the Ceiriog Valley and the efforts of the local volunteers have been magnificent. It makes me extremely proud to represent our area.”
The class Mr Skates joined has been run by volunteer tutors since last summer to supplement the refugees’ ESOL lessons (English for Speakers of Other Languages) at Coleg Cambria.
He said: “The network of help which has been created in the valley is amazing. The guests have not only been given a very warm welcome, but crucial, tangible and practical support too. So many people have helped, and residents have also donated their own time, expertise and a great deal of furniture and household items to refurbish and fully furnish a neglected empty property in Dolywern for one of the families to live in.”
Local businesswoman Jools Payne, who started the volunteer group, said: “The amazing support our Ukrainian friends have received stretches the length and breadth of the Ceiriog Valley. From hosts who have opened their homes, to local hospitality venues offering employment opportunities, to countless small acts of kindness that have helped them navigate their new life and language.
“It has been heart-warming. A volunteer described the valley as providing our guests with ‘a soft landing pad and a warm cwtch’. Equally, they have given us much in return, enriching our lives with their culture, warmth and humour.”
Earlier in the week, Mr Skates asked Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt how the Welsh Government is helping refugees from Ukraine to seek sanctuary in Wales. He was told the ‘Team Wales’ approach – working in partnership with councils and third sector organisations – has led to more than 6,500 being welcomed so far.
The Minister added: “As part of our 2023-24 budget, we're investing a further £40m in our humanitarian response.”
Mr Skates also expressed his concerns that cuts by the UK Government could have an impact.
Mr Skates said: “We know that local services are essential in ensuring that our guests feel welcome and secure here in Wales. I was pleased to see the additional money that the Welsh Government is providing for local authorities to deliver these essential public services including, of course, the continuation of free public transport.
“Have you any updates at all from UK Government Ministers providing clarity on what funding they will now be providing to support Ukrainian people here in Wales?”
Ms Hutt told the Senedd: “It is important that we made that commitment, that £40m package of funding. We made that commitment in consultation with our local authority partners, who have been so crucial – and the third sector – in delivering support for Ukrainian refugees in Wales.
“We're awaiting clarity from the UK Government in relation to funding. They’ve announced a £150m homelessness prevention fund, but we haven't heard what the allocation for Wales will be. I have written to seek urgent clarity on this. We need to see what our share will be, because the UK Government has cut the Year 2 integration tariff. So we lost £29m in that decision alone.”
The Welsh Government has also extended hosting payments into refugees’ second year after arrival and increased ‘thank you’ payments to hosts to £500.
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