Zelenskyy focused on the value of leadership
It was a huge honour to welcome President Zelenskyy to Westminster last Wednesday, where he made his first visit since the start of the war almost one year ago. He made a powerful and moving speech, exploring the value of leadership and the need for courage in the face of adversity, and I know that everyone came away with the same determination to continue our support for Ukraine.
The response we have seen locally has been incredible. Chichester is one of the largest sponsors through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, with nearly 600 Ukrainian people having made Chichester their home. I was very pleased to be able to help some applicants through the process and I was delighted to meet them and their sponsors, last July, as part of a special event we hosted in the city centre. We brought together local organisations and voluntary groups to show the wide range of support available, and I know that these groups have continued to build relationships and help those who need it.
Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a fundraiser by the Sofia Okunevskaya Foundation, a great charity providing essential medical supplies to those on the front lines of the conflict. The Foundation, operated entirely by volunteers and unpaid trustees, is headed by chairman, Dr Jim Phillips, who gave a talk on their work and the challenges being faced on the ground. An incredible £40,000 was raised from the event at Stansted Park, which will supply 800 Individual First Aid Kits to Ukrainians and save as many as 2,400 lives. A huge thank you to Dr Phillips and to Lord Bessborough for organising the event, and to everyone who made this possible. Anyone interested in getting involved and supporting this amazing cause can learn more on sofdn.co.uk/
Last week was Children’s Mental Health Week, and I visited some of the brilliant mental health support staff at St Wilfrid’s Catholic School, in Crawley. Our focus this year has been connecting and the importance of friendships and relationships in promoting good mental health, and it was really inspiring to see that in practice in some of West Sussex’s classrooms. There are a range of free resources for primary and secondary-age children still available on the official website here childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/