Charity shop owner aims to employ and house Ukrainian refugees

Co-founder and co-owner of Amaze, Chris Lee, said: "We are a homeless charity and they are homeless people, they deserve help.

"We are hoping to take some in ourselves, we have already applied for that.

"We are in contact with the Ukrainian Embassy via Shelter about that at the moment.

"We have liaised with St Mary's Church and the Vicar there, Lynne, and we are forming a reception committee for when Ukrainians arrive to welcome them in and make that Church a hub for them. 

"We will provide employment for them.

"They can come here and do some light assembly work to help make some of the fantastic things that we have here in the shop through the workshops that we have got.

"We have found somebody who will help them to learn English, so based around the Church and our charity we hope to make this a centre for the Ukrainians when they arrive."

Amaze is based in Richmond Road, Malvern and is a charity shop that transforms people's unwanted items into quirky new pieces of art.

Amaze: Ordinary objects transformed into artwork

Mr Lee and his co-founder and co-owner Polly Reehal employ those who are homeless to give them an income and help them to build experience and learn new skills.

He added: "We are trying to contact other groups and we have written to other groups asking if they want to join us.

"The more help the merrier and the more organisations that can help the merrier.

"We want to open this up to as many people who want to help as possible."