UKRAINIANS staying with Petersfield families have been officially welcomed by the mayor.

On behalf of the Agencies Working Together group and Petersfield Area Churches (PACT), Petersfield mayor Peter Clist welcomed 18 refugees and their hosts in St Peter’s Church, and thanked the hosts and church members for their hospitality.

He then recalled how his German mother was a refugee in the Second World War after her family fled from the Russians in 1945.

St Peter’s vicar, the Rev Will Hughes, and PACT chairman Ivan Hunington-Thresher also gave a warm welcome to the refugees, who were invited to identify their current needs so solutions could be provided where possible.

East Hampshire District Council is also inviting recently-arrived Ukrainians, and their hosts, to contact the authority for support and advice to help them settle in and connect with services they may need while here.

The council is working with Hampshire County Council, town and parish authorities, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Rural Refugee Network, and local groups and voluntary organisations to help the newcomers.

Hosts and guests can email the council at [email protected]