This Friday marks one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Many of us were touched and deeply saddened by the situation as a war that nobody expected played out before our eyes. The footage and images on the news and social media were and still are difficult to process.

Barnsley, as always, is a community that stands by those who need help, and we’ve been really proud to see the people of Barnsley stepping forward to help the people of Ukraine.

This Friday, 24 February, we’ll be flying the Ukraine flag at the Town Hall and holding a minute’s silence at 11am across the council. We will end the day by lighting up the Town Hall in yellow and blue, the colours of Ukraine’s national flag.

We stand in solidarity with all of those affected by what’s happening in Ukraine, particularly our twin town of Horlivka. A large mining town in eastern Ukraine, our friendship with Horlivka, in the Donetsk city region, goes back to May 1956, when a delegation of miners from Yorkshire stayed in the town during a study tour of the Soviet Union. We keep them in our thoughts and will continue to show our support to those affected in whatever way we can.

Councillor Sarah-Jane Tattersall, Mayor of Barnsley, said: “For many of us, it’s impossible to fathom what the people of Ukraine have been going through over the past year. Our sympathies go out to everyone across Ukraine and our friends in Horlivka.

“Nobody should have to endure what the people of Ukraine have endured over the last twelve months, and we will continue to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and send all our thoughts and hope to its people and communities.

“If you’re able to help those affected, you can find out more information on doing so on our webpage.”