Knitted teddies given to Ukrainian children at Tonbridge welcome event

Knitted teddy bears were handed out to Ukrainian children at a special welcome event for refugees in Tonbridge.

Officers from the district’s Community Safety Unit attended Tonbridge School on Tuesday 17 May 2022 where they spoke to families who have fled the ongoing conflict in their home country.

Representatives from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, Jobcentre Plus, the Ukraine Relief Group, Tonbridge Welcomes Refugees and a number of other organisations were on hand to welcome the new arrivals and signpost them to the wide range of support available.

Acting Chief Inspector Lizzie Jones, District Commander for Tonbridge, said:

‘The war in Ukraine has torn families apart and been traumatic for millions of people who have witnessed horrendous acts of aggression and suffered unimaginable loss.

‘We wanted the refugees who attended the event to know they are more than welcome here in Kent and that we are available to help them if they ever need us.

‘The teddy bears we handed out were knitted for us by volunteers and are usually given to children who visit police stations having been traumatised as victims of crime or as a result of witnessing an upsetting incident.

‘We hope they were of some small comfort to the Ukrainian children we met, and that they can now start to rebuild their lives away from the horrors of war.’