The women in Bridgend opening their homes to a family-of-eight fleeing from war-torn Ukraine

A group of women from Heol-y-Cyw in Bridgend are opening up their homes to a family-of-eight fleeing war-torn Ukraine.

Zaloa Chacon-Llodiofirst has been determined to support people escaping the country since the crisis began just over a month ago.

She found the family searching for help online, with their range of ages from a toddler to a grandmother. Unable to house all of them, Zaloa decided to reach out to people on a local community Facebook page to see if anyone could help.

That's when neighbours Jayne Sanders and Cath James got in touch to offer Zaloa help by opening up their homes too. For Jayne, she admits that it's going to be a challenge, but she really wants to support those in desperate need.

"My hope is to help and save at least one family," she said.

"My fear is the unknown. It's a big decision, it's not going to be easy."

Cath says she wants to offer her guests a warm Welsh welcome and intends to make lamb stew and Welsh cakes for them.

"We see them every day on the news and I just want to open my heart and my house to them," she said

Despite being ready to help people, the three women say that the UK Government's refugee application process is acting as a stumbling block by being complex and confusing.

Zaloa said: "The guidance is not good enough; it's insufficient. It's severely insufficient.

"If I was cynical, it would give way for me to think that it is a sign to create difficulty for people to actually apply to this process and difficult for us to navigate the system."

The UK Government said: "We are moving as quickly as possible to ensure that those fleeing horrific persecution in Ukraine can find safety in the UK through the Family Scheme and our new Homes for Ukraine scheme.

“The Home Office has already acted to streamline the visa application process and we are looking to simplify this further. The first visas were granted last weekend and we will set out full details of the visas granted through this scheme next week."

Zaloa has admitted that there are lots of factors to consider when those fleeing from Ukraine arrive in Wales.

She said: "The community will have to be catering services for a child - as in nursery services, school services, also medical services. Work for the mothers of these children and the young adults, English for them - it's a lot of practical issues.

"These people are leaving their husbands, brothers, fathers, sons behind. So far, those that are coming their males are still alive. They're coming from different cities that have already been bombarded."

For all the atrocities that have been happening in Ukraine, Zaloa thinks attitudes and opinions are changing towards refugees overall.

"I think this crisis should put us on the spot to evaluate how we feel towards every person, not only certain people. This is too near to home, it is too scary. It is just too real, so we are as a community are reacting to this reality and a lot more can be done."

• See more on this story on tonight's Sharp End at 10:45. You can also catch-up here.