A UKRAINIAN family have settled in Rosyth after fleeing their war-torn home.

Olena, 56, her two daughters, Viktoriia, 34, and Yuliia, 29, and four grandchildren, Dasha, 9, Mariia and Milana (both two) and nine-month-old Alexander were welcomed to the town on May 6 after leaving Irpin, near Kyiv, on March 24. We are not sharing their surname for their protection.

Since then, they had been stuck in Poland, held up by visa issues despite having a home ready to welcome them.

“We went to the border with small children for 12 hours and all this time we cried and prayed,” said Olena.

“My grandchildren could not sleep peacefully, they were afraid of every shock, they had night terrors and now we are finally safe. I can’t believe it.

“We received a warm welcome here in our new home and we want to thank everyone who took part in it. Thank you to all the volunteers for their help.”

The team who brought the family to Scotland were “overwhelmed” by the community response, thanking several businesses, including Dream Baby, Eats Rosyth, Rosyth FC, and SHIELD, who “gifted products, services, and time.”

Mel Porter, a member of the group, said: “Individuals also showed equal generosity by donating clothes, toys, kitchen utensils, beds, a shed, tv’s, pictures, toiletries and books.

“Many people went out and bought new items for the family. Volunteers, companies and the Rosyth and surrounding area community had also donated food to provide the family with provisions on their arrival.

“The team had the home ready for the family to arrive, it was just missing the family to give it a heart. Unfortunately, the visa process didn’t run smoothly or quickly as many families have experienced and are still experiencing.

“Very quickly, everyone felt the strain of the arduous process and the team and members of the community were genuinely concerned for the family’s welfare.”

The family did not receive their visas until May 5, almost six weeks after they left their home.

They were supported by Mel, Agnieszka (Aggy) Denicka, who acted as a translator, and the church, including Deacon Pat Carrigan, in travelling to Scotland just one day later.

“They knew that there had been many loving people involved and in reality too many to name individually.

“You all know who you are,” Mel continued.

“The family were understandably exhausted as they hadn’t slept from being told their flights were booked and after a light breakfast headed to bed in safety.”

The next day, Olena was able to meet some of the volunteers and plant vegetables in the family’s new garden at the church house of St John and St Columba.

The home was made available by the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh to host the refugees.

Deacon Pat described the arrival of the family as “an amazing community event”.

He said: “Parishioners and the folk of Rosyth took the project to their hearts and turned a house into a home within a matter of days.

“Gifts poured in, a team prepared the house with love and enthusiasm, while trades people gave freely of their time and skills.

“It took a lot of effort and the assistance from our local MP and MSP, Douglas Chapman and Annabelle Ewing, and their staff who chased the Home Office for visas.

“Thanks to all volunteers for their selfless dedication to this project, especially Karen Parker, Mel Porter and our translator, Agnieszka Denicka – their support has been tremendous.”

Olena also thanked those who had given their time to getting the family to Scotland and who had made them feel at home.

“We want to thank all the residents of this beautiful town who sincerely welcomed us into their family. Everyone is not indifferent to our grief.

“We have experienced horror and great fear in Ukraine.

“We lost everything we had.

“We have nowhere to go and it’s awful.

“Now in Ukraine, children are being killed, women are being raped, they want to destroy everything from our land with bombs and missiles.

“On the day we left for the Ukrainian-Polish border, we barely survived. Before us as we rode they blew up the bridge, we miraculously survived.”