It has been nearly a year since Russian forces invaded Ukraine and subjected its people to relentless terror. This war has impacted all of us, through energy bills, fuel prices, and increased economic uncertainty. All of the above has been compounded by our government’s demonstrable economic incompetence.  

Cornwall is one of the poorest regions in Europe and economic shocks hit us hard. We have high living costs and low wages. We also have a dire shortage of local housing, and our public services are stretched beyond breaking point. Nevertheless, since the start of the atrocities in Ukraine, the communities of Cornwall have risen to the occasion and hosted hundreds of Ukrainian families.  

So how has the arrival of Ukrainian refugees impacted on our towns and villages? I cannot speak for Cornwall, but I can speak for our experiences as a family in a small Cornish village by the sea. 

Eleven-year-old Petro and his mother Alina (not their real names) moved to our community last May. Neither spoke any English. Petro was somewhat of a celebrity at the tiny village school when he arrived, but it was my son, a shy but curious lad, who became one of his closest friends. 

Languages take time to learn, but kids are incredible at communicating across linguistic barriers, especially when aided with modern technologies such as Google Translate. Before Petro learnt any English, he and my son developed a friendship based around computer games, playing football, and splashing around in the sea.  

Petro and his mother Alina fled their home in central Ukraine and Petro hasn’t seen his father in nearly a year. Yet Petro frequently has us in fits of laughter with his cheeky sense of humour. We play cards together and have barbeques on the beach. Alina, in between her intensive English classes and her job at a local pub, cooks us Ukrainian food. My son has taken a keen interest in Ukraine, its geography, culture, and language. 

I am proud that when Petro and Alina arrived, there were Ukrainian flags flying in the village. There have been Ukrainian themed coffee and cake mornings. Nothing can make up for the nightmare Alina and Petro have experienced, fleeing their home and their loved ones. But our community has supported them and has supported their cause. 

In my view, our Cornish communities are stronger for this experience. The Ukrainian family in our village – a mum and her boy – have shared their food, their culture, and their friendship. Our village has shown, despite the myriad challenges we face, that we are real communities. We are not just a holiday destination, and we are not just a playground for the rich folk up country.  We should be proud, and we should be stronger than ever in our resolve to protect our communities for ourselves, for our families, and for the people from other communities or other countries whom we may need to support from time to time.