We don’t know why Victoria thought of us when sorting out her father’s home but she did. She had a lot to offer but storage was a problem for us. She asked if we could take bottles of alcohol and of course these always make a good raffle prize. Bringing them to our home made the job easy and we look forward to raising funds from this generous donation. Thank you Victoria!

Some Ukrainian guests have become excellent English speakers since they arrived but want to reach an even higher standard. With great kindness Kathy is providing private lessons to a group in her own home. Thanks Kathy.

We needed to boost our raffle prizes at a recent quiz, what could be a prize to put at the top of the list? Step in the Stay Original Co. and the Grosvenor Arms Hotel. A lovely £25 voucher, enough for an afternoon tea for 4. Thank you guys!

At our quizzes we regularly hold a £5 lottery. The winner writes their name on the back of the £5 ticket and if they win, they take home half of the receipts. Imagine our delight when the winning ticket was drawn and the purchaser had written ‘Shaftesbury Refugee Group’ instead of their name, an act of generosity that contributed £127.50 to our support fund. Classy and anonymous!

Luke and his family have been supporting a Syrian family in Gillingham since 2018. On the day they met Luke bought a washing machine which, now he is moving, he no longer needs. It has found a new home however with Nataliia and her family. Thanks Luke!

When there is something of value that is no longer needed it is often discarded.

Marian thought to contact us instead and her beautiful fire and built in surround went to one family, her tall fridge to another. Both were grateful but one family had no transport to carry the fridge. Christine and Carsten stepped in, as they often do, to help move the fridge . Lovely people all, and a generous act of kindness. Thank you.

Our area has a lively reputation for music and none more so than the Semley Music Festival which is in its third year and growing in size and reputation.

With artists influenced by music from around the world they also have a desire to include people locally.

We are grateful to David and his fellow organisers for providing some entry wristbands to help displaced people join in with this summer treat.

We are delighted that PotFest has come to the South West and the Turnpike Showground in particular. Held over 3 days with a host of creative ceramic artists of the highest calibre we know there will be lots to see that we have not seen before. What a delight it was therefore, to receive 20 free tickets from the organisers to help displaced people in our area share the experience. Thanks Matt and Dan, it's much appreciated.

Thank you to the Show Committee who had many other things on their mind his season but could still spare a thought for displaced people and provided 30 free tickets for the rescheduled Spring Countryside Show.

Linking people new to our area to life in a rural community is very, very important and much appreciated.

Compton McRae is a very special place of warmth and good healthy food, rich in flavour and interest. What better place to host Flavours of Ukraine?

Flavours of Ukraine is two workshops led by a Ukrainian chef. A chance to get good at fermented vegetables, soups and dumpling making!

Compton McRae is an ideal site for a day of making food and making memories.

Thank you Bill for this and all the other things you do for us.

When we needed kilos of flour to make dumplings at our Flavours of Ukraine weekend, Stoates Mill made a vey generous donation of their wonderful stoneground flour. The flour was formed into varenyky, Ukrainian dumplings filled with either savoury onions, sauerkraut and potato OR with cherries, strawberries and blueberries for a sweet parcel of perfection.

Thanks to Ollie Stoate.

Responding to one of our brief updates Stella wanted to let us know that a neighbour had a fridge, a really good clean fridge ideal for a family with grown up children.

It suited K and her boys perfectly and a couple of days later it had been collected and was in use.

Such a quick turnaround for something that could easily have been discarded. Thank you Stella and your anonymous neighbour!

Stanisav needed a smart TV for his growing kids, . connection with Ukrainia language TV.

Stephen and June were upgrading to a new one.

A day later everyone is happy, and again, Stephen and June made a difference. Thank you both.

Thanks to local artist, Rachel Sargent and her friends Ali and Chris for hosting and covering the costs for a very successful Christmas Card, lino cutting workshop. Hugely enjoyed. Thanks Rachel, perfect timing for Christmas.

Stephen and Sue had to make space for a dishwasher by moving their tumble dryer out of the way they did so. This dryer now will go to a young family moving into Shaftesbury. Thanks both, it’s a real bonus for the displaced family.

Gavin of Solstice Kitchens responded the very next day when he heard that Olena was balancing her two ring oven on a vanity stool. He measured up and fitted a kitchen cabinet the same day we called him. If you want a job done, ask a busy person is a true saying when it comes to Gavin.

A welcome gift for the members of Kyiv City Ballet, put into the rooms of The Grosvenor Arms will make their first day in Shaftesbury memorable.

Jemima and her colleagues from Pamplemousse will make up posies to make their rooms feel even more like home. Thank you Jemima, we hope to see you at some of the events.

Keeping traditions alive and teaching children in the UK the culture of home connects people displaced by the escalation in the conflict in Ukraine.

At Ivan Kupala, on 7th July, we learned to weave wreaths, guided by Anne and Wendy from Semley and with flowers donated by Sorelle in Motcombe and Waitrose in Gillingham.

Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show have once again put on a spectacular show over two summer days. Even as busy as they were they still made time to issue 30 complimentary tickets to help displaced people get a day out and see a bit more of Dorset life. The Show is a real jewel in the midst of summer as are the events team led by Nick. Thanks Nick!

Olga needed a fridge freezer bringing down from a first floor flat and back to her home, also on the first floor. It was big white lump, heavy and difficult to shift. Fortunately Ahmad and Tim were kind enough to lend some muscle and bring it down and up and into Olga and Robert’s home. Ahmad had already had a long day working in his brother’s business but he was a refugee from Iraq some time ago and he knows what it means to get some help when coming to a new country. Thanks Ahmad, thanks Tim!

Local Ukrainian guests were keen to celebrate Independence Day of Ukraine and needed a welcoming venue. Following a recommendation by Barry von Clemens, Gillingham Town Mayor, we approached Gillingham Social Club. All of our contacts with John Webber and his team were excellent, so welcoming and helpful. The facilities were superb and everyone had a great night. John’s team even raised the Ukrainian Flag, a gesture very much appreciated. Thanks John.

Ivan Kupala is a traditional festival that takes place in midsummer. It’s an outdoor event involving fresh water and fire so we needed a very special place and we found it at Sara’s home. Sara is fortunate to have some beautiful grounds and she kindly asked Derek to help prepare the area and make the fire pit. Derek made it perfect, even providing a pile of logs, matches and firelighters. It was truly a magical evening in a very special place.

Dorset Vehicle Rentals were kind enough to offer a very, very generous discount on the hire of a couple of minibuses when they heard they would be helping Ukrainian Refugees. Thanks Matt and the team in Gillingham.

It’s not easy getting to Motcombe for Eurovision at 7.30pm, so some Ukrainian guests were likely to be left behind unless we had some volunteers for lifts. Thank you to Eric, John and Christine for being a one night taxi service and providing lifts home after midnight too.

When N moved to Shaftesbury her new home had no carpets in the bedroom. Looking for help we reached out to JOT carpets where Jack, Jerry and Debbie responded brilliantly with measuring up, advice and carpets at cost and free fitting. This made the new carpets affordable and will make a new home warm and welcoming as well as safe. Thank you JOT, very much

We don’t know who Alex is or where he came from but he went out of his way to help someone from Ukraine who was stranded at hospital when their ambulance failed to turn up. Alex helped the patient across the hospital and with great care and did not rest until the taxi was clear where the patient needed to travel too. Thank you Alex, whoever you are!

The Shaftesbury and Gillingham Show have kindly donated free tickets to adult refugees and displaced people for their wonderful Spring Countryside Show. Our thanks to Nick, James, and the team. The days out will mean a lot to the families who have a ticket to the Countryside!

We are very grateful to Churches Together who generously donated the takings from their Pancake Day Quiz to support refugees in our area. Many thanks to the churches and to Caroline in particular. The funds will be used well and are much apprecited.

Shaftesbury Art Centre did not hesitate when a suggestion from a Ukrainian guest was made for a showing of a Ukrainian film as a focus for sharing a cultural connection. Thanks to Charlie and the Trustees for saying yes and being so supportive over tickets and venue..

Looking for a venue to hold a celebration of Ukrainian culture the Town Hall in Shaftesbury looked ideal but could we afford it? We are grateful to the Town Council for the gift of the venue, for free. This will help the event happen and save our funds for vital support such as travel and housing grants.

The offering from the congregation of Churches Together united service on 22nd January was £750. That so many made a contribution at this time of hardship shows charity and support at its best. Thank you for thinking of displaced people at this time.

Thanks to Openhouse and to Heather. We needed TVs to put into bedrooms for Ukrainian families. With their own TVs they were able to watch programmes in their own language. We asked and you gave. Thank you.

We needed some raffle prizes for our latest quiz. Shaftesbury came up trumps. Thank you for your overwhelming generosity; Jana at The Mitre, Aimee at Allum and Sidaway, Bill at Compton McRae, Kat at The Botanical Candle Co. Dawn at Willow Natural, Chloe at The Grosvenor Arms, Jamie at Holland and Barrett and Josh at Over the Top.

A special mention to Liam and Brigitte, they couldn't be at the quiz but left a voucher as a prize. An unexpected and beautiful thought.

We will raise so much more because of your gifts.

No one asked Chris to donate a laptop to the families fleeing conflict but his donation has helped a young person connect to school, family and feel connected to Shaftesbury.

New Hall Hospital. Your support for a scan to diagnose a problem blocking a person's progress to health and security was incredibly generous and has made the most enormous difference

Quietly and without fuss Virginia Hayward regularly donate to charities around Shaftesbury. At Christmas this extends to hampers for some of the refugee families who have found safety here. Thank you.

If you leave your homeland with one suitcase you have no space for bedding. It takes a kind heart to realise this and donate a full set for a family. Thank you to Helen.

The work of Wardrobe Foundation should not go unnoticed. Their parcels of clothing, hand picked and beautifully packaged to delight someone who had to leave everything behind are a ray of sunshine. Thank you Eloise and your team

Expressing yourself through art in the company of others who have had similar experiences is rewarding and reassuring. Thank you Yulia for leading such a meaningful event for hosts, guests and supporters. We loved it and we've got the T shirts to prove it!

Having the idea and the ambition to make dance available to all has made a profound difference to some of the families who have settled in Shaftesbury and Gillingham. Tiffany, your open heart and kindness extends to the work of your amazing foundation. Thank you.

What a gift for someone who is homeless, a house that can be a home. An act of enormous generosity and something that will make a world of difference. Thank you Sally and family.

When we knew that we would need to make our small charity more publicly available we chose to make this website. It would not be possible without the generosity and skill of Jonny and Harriet and Martin.

Thanks Hashmitwin, your version of the dove and snowdrop logo was a real winner with the voting panel. To have such a high quality image has made a difference to how we look as a group. Thank you Danya for arranging the commission.

Our area has many wonderful attractions, often not accessible if you are unfamiliar with the area or customs. Stourhead lights is an amazing tradition in a wonderful setting. Thank you Stourhead for making this accessible to families settling here.

When Samar and Ammar heard of a family displaced from Ukraine they were the first to offer a meal to the family and hosts, taking it to their home as a welcome from people who had shared the same experience. Thank you, your food is delicious!

Refugees have to find a place to be, to take root and to become part of the landscape of a new country. This is only possible with the support of a community like the one we have in Shaftesbury, Motcombe and Gillingham. Motcombe Parish Council recognised this with their kind agreement to have three Rowan trees planted in the Motcombe Meadows as part of the Queen’s Jubilee. The trees commemorate the support given to three Syrian families since 2017. Thank you Liam and all on the Council.

Thanks also to Landford Trees and the Dorset Wildlife Trust who between them have made the cost of the trees manageable. Thanks to Ed and Emma respectively.

Having English has given people confidence and enabled everyday life. At first it wasn’t easy, but with the support of people like Sheena, it has been a joyful journey and one that provides a opportunity to meet and enjoy the new learning. Thank you Sheena.

Getting a business off the ground is a challenge and making it visible to the world just as hard. A good website is expected but without the help of people like Bernie it would not have been possible. Thank you Bernie for making Syrian Cuisine visible.

Work is a wonderful way to both benefit and give something back. When Hugh became an advocate for a displaced person to start work, he also gave an opportunity for the community to benefit from the expertise and skill that was brought to the repair of social housing. Thank you Hugh.

‘Home cooking from the heart of Syria’, is how people describe Samar and Ammar’s food but without an outlet it is hard to make their business thrive on takeaways alone. When Bill took their food and shared it through Compton McRae he made a real difference to a family starting out in catering. Thank you Bill.

We can know the tragedy of war through our screens, but we feel it through the words of people that endured it.

Listening acknowledges the hurt and harm and educates us to take a stand against conflict. Thank you to Port Regis School for the opportunity to bear witness to the Civil War in Syria and its impact on people.

We have some special places in our area and Messum’s Wiltshire is amongst them. An acclaimed centre of art excellence could easily be exclusive and intimidating but not here. Jonny and his team are welcoming and inclusive and willing to make places available at their festival of dance workshops. thank you Jonny and Melissa.

When Annelise tasted food from ‘The Hammouds’ Kitchen’ she knew that it needed a wider audience. Volunteering to write an article for her local newsletter she has given others a chance to sample authentic Syrian home cooking. Going the extra mile she has copied menus for the shop in Ludwell. Thank you Annelise.

We needed some flowers to dress tables at a quiz night. Helen of Waitrose, Gillingham, you are a star: holding some back for us at the end of the day made it possible. Thank you too for the unexpected nibbles for our guests.

We don't know how Helen found us but we are glad she did. Giving over her garage in Shillingstone as a temporary home for the items that deserve another life, she was able to provide much needed bedding and even a bike for an eight year old. Thank you Helen, your energy is infectious.

Symbol of Ukraine, the sunflower inspired Gill to muster the support of East Stour to grow an ocean of them. Selling strong seedlings to raise funds for Ukrainian relief is inspiring. Thank you Gill.

Thank goodness Tom and Miles volunteered to put up tables for a fundraising event as part of their DoE. It’s very tiring to put the tables and chairs out for 70 people and put them away at the end of the night when you are dead beat! They were kind enough to do it for us and it was much appreciated.

As any self employed person will tell you, keeping the books is a tedious but necessary job. Finding an accurate way to do that and to make it as easy as possible takes time but thanks to David and Charlie who generously shared some examples and their methods a new business owner was able to get on top of the task. Thanks both.

Having an accountant is a vital service for any new business. An accountant can offer advice, verify and submit accounts and help liaise with the tax office. It’s a valuable service and usually has a cost. Colin of Rapid Accounts has generously given that service for a small refugee run business and its partners who are just starting out. Thank you Colin

A call on this is Alfred to help find beds and mattresses for two families was answered by Rowenna, Yasmin, Kim and Emma and of course the marvellous Nikki and Chris at Open House. Thank you for helping two grateful families.

To help welcome Ukrainian families and their hosts we were invited to Sara’s house and gardens and were generously provided with a delicious cake and crispy falafels by the wonderful cooks of Syrian Cuisine and The Hammouds’ Kitchen who would not take a penny for their kindness.

When you were once displaced yourself, you know how important a warm welcome to a new country is. We are grateful to Atif, Hanadi, Imad and Bayan from Syrian Cuisine for donating 10 places for hosts and guests from Ukraine at their Syrian Supper on 8th July . It was a fabulous evening, much appreciated and enjoyed by all of us who were there. Thank you for the flavours and the friendship.

The English language provision by Skills and Learning is invaluable but can only reach adults. When a 17 year old needed English lessons Mirian offered and is now giving additional lessons twice a week to a grateful family. thank you Mirian.

When our transport broke down and we needed to move beds and mattresses Chris was on hand to unlock Open Store and Nick from the Potting Shed helped with his van after a busy day. Thanks both.

Our 11th July Meet and Greet was a great success with over 70 attendees. Thank you to Jeremy and Katie for hosting the event and to Vita Europe for providing a budget for food and drinks. This chance to meet was invaluable and could not have happened without you. Thank you.

Simon has a secure recycling business and had the great idea of using his company’s skills and knowhow to repurpose phones, tablets and laptops for refugees who fled with little. Simon has already taken on requests from 6 Ukrainian guests and all at no cost. A great idea from a great company. Thank you.

Chris Etchells kept his business going during the pandemic. Relying as it does on international visitors he had to pivot to on-line learning. Now travel is more possible English Country Schools is back at Port Regis providing high quality English teaching and life enhancing experiences for children 7-17.

At this busy time Chris still had in mind the needs of refugee children and generously offered day places at cost for up to 16 children a week. This will be invaluable for Ukrainian refugees who have only had a week or two in school so far. Thank you to Chris and to English Country Schools for this amazingly generous offer.

A young couple, recently arrived in our area hadn’t yet received a payment and were struggling with the necessities of life. Thank you to Karen, Carolyn, Joyce, Katie and Jeremy for arranging detergents and toiletries to get them on their feet. A lovely personal gift that made K and D very, very happy.

We love Google Translate, it is an amazing tool but when a translation really matters you want the wording to be appropriate. Sometimes Google gets it wrong in tone and content so we were delighted that Iryna could help us out with some pages of translation as well a quick review of the translations on our website. Thank you for finding the time for this Iryna.

At a meal hosted by Syrian Cuisine, Shaun had the experience of meeting Ukrainian guests and hearing about our work helping people settle into our community. He thoughtfully made a collection at the two Shaftesbury Fringe concerts he gave in July and donated £260 to help displaced people. We will put your gift to good use Shaun. Thank you.

Some requests we receive are from outside our charity’s area, either geographic or otherwise. When we had a request from someone in Milton Abbas for an educational grant we were happy to work with Milton Abbas Emily Faulkner Trust to help them. Thanks to John and fellow trustees for making this happen.

Our Ukrainian guests asked for help with conversational English. Despite the hoops of enhanced DBS checks and a wait these are up and running. Thanks to the 10 volunteers who have begun meeting their guests and starting the conversation.

Thank you to The Shaftesbury Town Council who have provided a room for our AGM and to Father’s House for opening up and providing a venue for the Next Steps workshops. It’s great to be in partnership with you.

Thanks to James, Bonnie and the Show Committee of Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show for providing complimentary tickets for refugees. It was a brilliant day for all and a chance to see another side of Dorset in action.

When Wendy Keith -Roach opened up her farm to Ukrainian refugees recently they were blessed with the weather and the chance to relax in the countryside, meeting and making new friends. What a wonderful and generous gesture.

We needed somewhere to discuss with hosts and guests the next steps in their journey and Father’s House helped with a venue for free. Caroline and Dave gave of their time to help us organise the AV and the room. Thank you to Nikki and her team and their generosity.

Many thanks to Syrian Cuisine who made a feast for a fundraising quiz. The room was beautifully prepared, the food delicious and the warmth of their welcome beyond compare. Many thanks to Imad, Bayan, Atef and Hanadi and their boys.

Money was raised and awareness raised and we had a great evening of friendship and fun.

Palida Choir wanted their new members from Ukraine to go with them to Brionne in France. Not easy but possible because all of Pallida chipped in to help with costs, visas and arrangements. We can’t sing their praises high enough!

Thank you to the many businesses of Gillingham who contributed their gifts to raffle and raise money at our Quiz Night and Syrian Feast

Mayflowers

Devas Hairdressing

Allum and Sidaway

The Red Lion

Crockers

Little Poland

Sewards

The Slade Gallery

It made for a very profitable, exciting and enjoyable evening.

And of course, our thanks again to the wonderful Bill at Compton Mcrae for a brilliant hamper.

A large lime tree that had to be felled became part of our fund raising when Rosemary and Andy or Enmore green thought to offer the logs for a donation to us. Raising over £100 and warming homes and hearts at the same time. Really kind, thank you.

Michael and Beverley knew their home in Bimport would be empty for a while and rather than putting it onto the market for let they have reached out to us to provide a home for a Ukrainian family moving on from their hosts. The move was helped enormously by Colin and Jill and Sara and went smoothly. Now a displaced mother and 2 sons has an affordable home close enough for school. Thank you all.

Jonny and Harriet live in London and are connected to our family. A new baby has prompted a house tidy up and they have been able to regift some beautiful items to one of our fund and awareness raising Quiz Nights in December.

Debbie lives between London and Shaftesbury and knew that she would be in London for a while. She kindly offered her bungalow as a respite home and place of sanctuary rent free to whomever would need it whilst away. Thank you Debbie.

Rather than throw away the laptops that had done good service Jules donated them to our partners DonateIT. Even if they are not going to be passed on they help with the running costs of this social enterprise company who recycle as well as refurbish. Thank you Jules.

St Andrew's CE Primary School, Fontmell are making sure local children get a Christmas gift this year.

For Children in Need this year they asked children to bring in a gift for those that may not get any presents this year.

They have asked us to make sure that the gifts are part of refugees first Christmas away from Ukraine. Thanks to all and especially Channon and the children of the school.

Daisy Graphics is a small printing company in Long Cross who are always generous in their discounts for our printing costs. A few pounds here and there mount up over the year and allow us to meet more needs such as help with starting driving in the UK or setting up house. Thank you Lizzie. and Theresa.

The process of renting a house can be complex and for someone without a first or second language of English it can be daunting. Estate agents can make the process easier and a friendly face such as Veronica’s at Woolley and Wallis and Dean at Chaffers can make the experience less frightening. Veronica is already helping us with making the process more straightforward and easier to understand and we appreciate that support which will have a very positive effect on people’s well being and search for housing. Thank you Veronica.

Friends of our group, Deane and Bernice set up a fortnightly craft and chat for Ukrainian guests.

It is a chance to work on some crafts, learn new ones or work on a current project with friends. They offer help with knitting, crochet, cross stitch, pyrography, loom knitting. Even the equipment, was provided. Thank you Bernice and Deane..

Jonny and Harriet had a bed and a good mattress that they were able to give to Nadia to help her establish a home. Nicci has a settee in great condition to do the same. People are looking out for each other, and that is great