Dear Friends,
As we approach the Autumn of 2023, tragically the war in Ukraine does not seem any closer to ending. The number of people fleeing the war and arriving in Salisbury does however appear to have slowed so while we were initially meeting several new families a month at the Salisbury Community Hub for Ukraine we are now seeing fewer new arrivals. The Hub has proudly served the Ukrainian community in the city by providing support for housing, education, jobs and many other issues since it was established in April 2022. The focal point of our Hub has been at the Salisbury Methodist Church which has been an incredibly generous host for our meetings and language classes that have run every week and provided an invaluable base for community connections to be forged and built upon. Along with the integration of the Ukrainian families into the local area and the establishment of their own successful communities and enterprises we have also seen a sustained increase in the provision of support from the Local Authorities.
Given these factors we feel that now is the right time to allow the Hub to evolve into an organisation that will continue to provide support as and when required, on a virtual basis, by accessing us through the email address below. The team will retain its online presence and continue to be available to provide information, resolve any issues arising and to sign-post. This change will take place after Friday October 27th after which the Hub will no longer be holding its meetings or language lessons on a Thursday or Friday morning at the Methodist Church and we will move onto our virtual provision. This will not include language classes but there are now many more options available for these at Wiltshire College and online.
It has been an absolute privilege for those of us involved in the Hub to work closely with the Ukrainian community and to witness their strength, resilience and optimism in the most challenging circumstances. We would also like to offer our sincere thanks to everybody who has been involved at the Methodist Church and to all the hosts and other organisations and individuals with whom we have worked over the last 18 months.
If you have any questions regarding the above, please do not hesitate to contact us on admin@salisburyukrainehub.org.uk or refer to the website salisburyukrainehub.org.uk
At the same time as the Hub at the SMC will transition to a Virtual Hub we are truly delighted to confirm that the Ukrainian community will be relocating to a regular venue at St Martin’s Church rooms where the group plans to run activities for children, teenagers and adults. More information will follow in due course on this development.
Please join us at the SMC on October 27th from 10am – 12pm for a very informal coffee and cake and thank you. See flyer below
With very best wishes,
The Salisbury Community Hub for Ukraine
