Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is leading the way in supporting Ukrainian refugees.

The authority is the only Combined Authority in the country to fully fund English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) provision.

To date, 307 Ukrainian refugees have been supported through ESOL across the region.

ESOL is a language course that supports speakers of other languages in learning the basics of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English.

Studying ESOL can help individuals settle into life in the UK, look for employment and improve communication with doctors, teachers, and other people that students may meet through their daily routine.

Dr Nik Johnson, mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, said: “We are proud to be the only Combined Authority in the country that fully funds ESOL provision.

"Being able to speak the native language in any country has an enormous impact on quality of life.

“Refugees have already been through so much; it is imperative that we support them to resettle.

"That includes giving them the tools they need to access employment, understand and interact with the services they need, join clubs, and make friends. We can do that by offering ESOL to students.”

The Combined Authority has awarded £1.2m to education providers to deliver ESOL in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for the 2021/22 academic year.

Courses are offered to students in various ways so that they can pick a learning method that suits them and their lifestyle best.

This could be from full-time to part-time study, online to evening classes or even summer programmes.

In addition, ESOL providers have also supported learners with transportation, childcare, counselling, and mental health support. This provision can be essential to helping refugees resettle in the region.

Cambridge Regional College (CRC) is one of seven ESOL providers in the region.

Michelle Dowse, deputy principal at CRC, said: "With Combined Authority funding, CRC has enrolled 50 Ukrainian students to date.

"Over 200 people from Ukraine have been welcomed for initial assessments and guidance over the summer period, and we are thrilled that they will be starting their courses with us in September.

" We are very proud to support these students providing them with new opportunities.”