Thousands of Ukrainian refugees will be given help and support from Freemasons in England and Wales, following a £50,000 grant to the British Red Cross.

The Freemasons’ Charity the MCF and the United Grand Lodge of England UGLE have been monitoring the growing refugee crisis of over 500,000 Ukrainian people who have been forced from their country or been internally displaced from their homes.

As the situation in Ukraine deteriorates, trains leaving major cities like Kyiv for the border are packed. Huge queues are growing at border crossing points with reports of many families waiting days in freezing temperatures to reach neighbouring states. If the situation continues to worsen, the UN Refugee Agency has said it fears millions more people could end up seeking safety in other countries.