SOMERSET Freemasons have helped to support Ukrianian families by raising £100,000 to donate to the British Red Cross, alongside Freemasons across England and Wales.

The grant, which was collected through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, will help people seeking safety in the UK to track down their loved ones and get back in contact.

The British Red Cross international tracing team can help families understand the legal process to reunite and offer emotional support where needed.

Those looking for loved ones can also upload a photo of themselves on the Trace the Face website in the hope that their missing family recognise them. 

According to Government statistics collected in August 2022, there were a total of 206,000 applications received under the Ukraine visa schemes, many of whom were young families trying to escape the conflict.

The Red Cross, which has been reuniting families since World War Two, urges donations where possible. This latest £100,000 grant from the Freemasons comes after a series of previous grants totalling more than £1 million helping Ukrainian refugees, as well those in Poland, Moldova and other neighbouring countries.

Alex Fraser, UK director of refugee support and restoring family links for the British Red Cross, said: “We’re very grateful to the Freemasons for this generous grant which we’ll use to reunite families torn apart by conflict. For people seeking safety in a crisis, losing contact with family members adds a new layer of trauma, and while the conflict in Ukraine has highlighted that fact, it’s a situation facing countless refugees and people on the move around the globe.

“Bringing families back together is a hard and complex process, but for someone looking for their child, spouse or sibling, it means everything. The Freemasons’ generosity will help us to support these people, whoever they are and whatever they’ve been through.”

Graham Puddy from Somerset Freemasons, said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help the British Red Cross with this hugely important project to reunite families who have often been scattered across the continent. I can’t imagine a better way for Ukrainian children to celebrate the New Year than to get their families back in a safe country away from violence.”

To make your own donation to the Red Cross, visit their website.