A FAMILY who took in Ukrainian refugees say the experience has been "incredibly rewarding".

Murray Kerr and his family opened their Black Notley home to a mother and her two daughters, aged 19 and eight, through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme in June 2022.

The mother and older daughter have found work in the area, and the younger daughter has been wecomed into a primary school where the headteacher has been "incredibly supportive".

Murray said: "Our guests have integrated exceptionally well into our community and interact with other Ukrainian guests and the community.

"Every person we have come into contact with has been willing to help and support our guests and has been very sympathetic to their situation.

"We have also found the Ukrainian meet-ups and English classes run by Braintree District Council beneficial for our Ukrainian guests.

"Having this Ukrainian family stay with us has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I would encourage other people in our community to offer their homes as we have."

Braintree Council is calling for more sponsors to offer a home to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

To register and support a Ukrainian family, visit gov.uk/register-interest-homes-ukraine.