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Cllr Westwood made the announcement at an event organised by the council to bring together community representatives from across North Somerset who are all working to make Ukrainian refugees welcome and supporting them to settle into new communities and surroundings.
He said: “I decided that rather than have the usual Chairman’s Civic Service this year, money would be better directed towards helping to welcome and provide for our Ukrainian guests, and a donation to VANS seemed to be the obvious, best and quickest route to achieve this.”
Paul Lucock, chief executive officer of VANS, said: “The generous donation received from Cllr Westwood will allow us to work closely with the Ukrainian families we are welcoming to North Somerset, to identify with them exactly what they need and, along with other funding we are applying for, be able to deliver this.
"This project will require ongoing support and we are committed, with the help of North Somerset Council, to ensure that the families who have experienced a challenging period in their lives are welcome and can enjoy a more settled life in our area.”