Mayor of Worcester welcomes Ukrainian guests to the Guildhall

The Mayor and Mayoress of Worcester have welcomed nearly 100 Ukrainian guests to the Guildhall, along with their host families.

Councillor Adrian Gregson and his partner Rachel Hall organised the event as a formal welcome to the city for people who have fled the war in their home country.

The free event at the historic city centre building included the serving of tea and cake, and a range of fun children’s activities, including making traditional Ukrainian flower crowns and friendship bracelets.

The guests were given a tour of the Guildhall, and many of them posed for photos with the Mayor in his traditional robes of office.

The Mayor said: “The idea of this event was to give a warm Worcester welcome to the Ukrainian guests who are now making our city their home after fleeing the conflict in their homeland. I hope it also provided the chance for them and their hosts to have a bit of fun together and build even stronger bonds of friendship.

“On behalf of the city, I also took the opportunity to thank the many local families who have come forward to host our Ukrainian guests at this most difficult of times.”

Several guests thanked Worcester City Council for organising the event and said it had helped them feel welcome in the city. The day also allowed the Ukrainian families and their hosts to strike up new friendships, and to build up new communication channels with each other and the Council officers who are supporting them.