A resident from Middleton Gardens residential care service has welcomed a family of Ukrainian refugees into her vacant bungalow whilst she lives at Middleton Hall.

Gwen, who has lived at Middleton Hall Retirement Village since 2021, was told by her grandson and his wife about a Ukrainian family who needed help to get out of the country after being bombed and to escape the horrors of the ongoing war.

With her property standing empty, Gwen decided to offer it to the family and, after successfully navigating the necessary permissions and paperwork involved, the family arrived and moved in three weeks ago.

Gwen, who moved to Middleton Hall Retirement Village in order to enjoy more independence in her daily life, said that the family will be staying for a minimum of six months and are welcome to stay longer if needed.

“It seemed the right thing to do,” she added.” I have a bungalow sitting there empty, and if I could make a difference to people going through such a tragic time then I wanted to do exactly that.

“It was not easy to arrange – there was a lot of toing and froing waiting for different paperwork to be granted but it was all worth it now they are here and safe.”

“They visit me here at Middleton Hall and provide regular updates as they settle into their new home and it’s been lovely to meet them. I would like to thank all the family, friends and neighbours who have helped the Ukrainian family get here and get settled in.”