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DerehamUkrainians750Baptist Church launches Ukraine Support Hub 

A Ukrainian who has been living in Dereham is helping to build a welcome for her compatriots as the Baptist Church opens a new support centre.

Dereham Baptist Church launched the Ukraine Support Hub on April 22. It is bringing together people preparing to welcome refugees fleeing from the conflict with those who just want to help where they can.

One of the Ukrainians now at the hub is Inhrit Chahlei, who arrived three weeks ago from Chernivtsi. She and her son left their home city in Western Ukraine to come and live with her sister-in-law, Natalia Chireazieva, who has been in Dereham since 2015 and works in a care home. 
 
“We are living two lives, one in Dereham, and then another when watching the news and spending time on the phone with family,” said Inhrit. “We want to help in any way that we can. We need these people, who together we can build a sense of community with one another.”

The group which launched the hub includes Julie Mann, office administrator at Dereham Baptist Church, Keith Mersh, Chairman of Love Dereham, and Gavin Wolfenden and Leanna Jarman from Morrisons. Mrs Mann and her husband Derek are currently preparing to welcome a Ukrainian into their home. 

You can read more about the Dereham Support Hub on the EDP story here:

www.edp24.co.uk/news/dereham-urkaine-support-hub

Meanwhile on the edge of Norwich General Lord Dannatt and Lady Dannatt, the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, are leading by example in welcoming Ukrainians into their own home.
 
In King’s Lynn, the Hanseatic Union charity has been helping to co-ordinate hospitality for migrants from Ukraine. Before the recent war, King’s Lynn had a small Ukrainian and a larger Russian and Lithuanian population. There are currently more than 700 Ukrainian people with host visas in Norfolk, of which over 100 are in the King’s Lynn area. 
 
Pictured above are Rev Nigel Bayley from Dereham Baptist Church, Keith Mersh and Julie Mann. Credit: Sonya Duncan.
 
 
 
 

Eldred Willey, 03/05/2022

Eldred Willey
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