A TINY village near Tintern in the heart of the Wye Valley could become a safe haven for those fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine after proposals were put to residents.
The Russian attack on Ukraine has caused the displacement of many tens of thousands of Ukrainian people from their homes and marked the onset of what could be the largest humanitarian crises in Europe for decades.
Refugees have fled across the border into neighbouring countries such as Poland, Hungary and Moldova.
Now, however, the residents of Catbrook have been asked whether they would be able to join the support effort.
Members of Catbrook Memorial Hall have appealed to residents of the village to see how much space – both in people’s homes and the village hall itself - could be set aside to house those fleeing war in Ukraine.
Andrew Pullen, who has helped to organise the proposal, said: “This is very much a humanitarian decision.
“We live in a small rural village and when walking in the woods and lanes, especially in the early Spring sunshine, it is difficult to imagine what thousands of people in Ukraine are going though at the moment.”
Despite being thousands of miles apart, it is the aim of Mr Pullen and the other members of the hall to find common ground with people who would, under normal circumstances, live in a similar way to those in Catbrook.
“Rather than act as individuals, we thought it might be feasible for several of us to offer accommodation to people from the same Ukrainian village, town or area,” he explained.
“Then, if they do come here they are not isolated from family and friends, or feel alone in a strange country.”
Mr Pullen conceded that such an effort would not be easily undertaken, and that support would be required for those taking in refugees as well as for the refugees themselves.
“To that end, other residents who are not able to offer accommodation have offered support in providing transport, essential for a rural community with limited public transport,” he said.
Residents may also offer help in running the village hall as a drop-in community.
The memorial hall, which was once an American First World War hospital and has since become used for war memorial services, would be an appropriate place to use during these difficult times, Mr Pullen said.
The Catbrook sanctuary proposal is still in its infancy, and Mr Pullen admitted that other areas may be “more appropriate in terms of infrastructure”, but he and the other members say that “as a village, we just wanted to help the Ukrainian refugees as best we can”.
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