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Cornwall weekly group for Ukrainian refugees in rural areas

Reuters People from Ukraine comfort each other at a refugee shelterReuters
The weekly meetings hope to bring refugees together and to prevent isolation

A community group has been set up to bring together Ukrainian families living with sponsors in North Cornwall.

The Gateway to Ukraine has begun weekly get-togethers to help refugees to feel less isolated.

More than 14 million Ukrainians are thought to have fled their homes since the Russian invasion, the United Nations reported.

Volunteer Vanessa Tyler said she hoped as the group grew, Ukrainian families would be able to take it over.

"We realise they will be isolated here to start with as it is obviously a very rural area," she said.

"We haven't got the benefit of the Ukrainian community here already like Manchester have.

"We're now getting ready to hand the project over to the Ukrainians to run fore themselves because they know exactly what they want and need."

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