College helps build hope and home for Ukrainian refugees

Ukrainian refugees will be offered sanctuary with a kind-hearted Wrexham family thanks to the support of Coleg Cambria.

Staff from the college’s Bersham Road site stepped in to help Sarah Stickles reconfigure her property to add an extra room in preparation for the arrival of evacuees from the war-torn country.

The Stickles’ are waiting to be ‘matched’ with either one individual or a parent and child, having applied to the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme.

After sitting down with her husband and four children, Sarah – who works as a nurse at Nightingale House Hospice – appealed for help on social media for a builder to quote for the work.

Among the first to respond was Amy Rowlands, a lecturer in Foundation Construction at Cambria, who committed to building the wall and supplying all materials for free.

She was joined on-site by colleagues Chad Davies and Mike Ward, and 21 year-old student Jacob Jones, who completed the project within a matter of hours and even helped with other tasks around the garden.

Solace

“They were absolutely amazing, I can’t thank them enough,” said Sarah.

“I was gobsmacked when Amy and the team offered to do everything for free, including the building and plastering.

“They’ve done a brilliant job in quick time, so we can now have carpet laid and decorate the room.

“We don’t know yet whether it will be one person or a parent and small child coming here to live with us, as the space won’t allow for more than that, but we are committed to doing everything we can.

“We have changed things around so the children have lost some of their living space, and we’ve had to move my daughter’s piano to make room, but they are not at all worried about that, they just want to be able to do something after watching the horrific atrocities on the news over past weeks.

“Thanks again to Coleg Cambria, we can now get the house ready for their arrival and help them to get used to life in this country after what must have been the most traumatic time.”

Amy was delighted to be able to support Sarah and wished them the best of luck for the coming months.

“What they are doing is so selfless, it’s such a wonderful thing and we had to put ourselves forward to do the work,” she added.

“We are so pleased that it will make a difference and bring solace to someone who really needs it at this heart-wrenching time for the people of Ukraine.”

For more news and information from Coleg Cambria, visit the website: www.cambria.ac.uk.