A family of Ukranian refugees have new jobs and a home in Pembrokeshire after a local poultry business stepped in to help them settle in the county.

In a mutual win for the five refugees – brothers and cousins from the same family – and for Capestone Organic Poultry Ltd, they are all working in roles in the farm team at the company’s Walwyn’s Castle site.

And their new life in Pembrokeshire has taken another step forward this month after the team at Capestone helped them to secure a home in Haverfordwest.

The family – Artur and Yurii Voloshyn and Natalia, Ihor and Mykhailo Khudobiak – fled Ukraine when Russian forces closed in.

They were taking refuge at the Urdd Centre in Llangrannog when the offer of jobs at Capestone came.

The company had contacted the Welsh Nation of Sanctuary programme in May, to register its interest in helping with the refugee resettlement programme.

“We then contacted the team in Llangrannog to offer an invitation to everyone at the refuge to visit Capestone for a tour of the site to see if it was a place where they would like to work,’’ Capestone’s head of human resources Gerald Bessant explains.

Five accepted job offers and started a training programme to take up their new posts in July.

They initially lodged at local bed and breakfast accommodation but Capestone was keen to give them the opportunity to live in private rented accommodation, to make them feel more settled in the area.

“Unexpectedly an employee of the company was about to sell her house and offered them exclusive access,’’ says Mr Bessant.

They jumped at the offer of renting the house and a team of people set about making it happen.

“The journey to here has been a new experience for everyone, not least due to the number of groups involved including the Urdd, Pembrokeshire County Council, FBM estate agents and Frame,’’ says Mr Bessant.

FRAME donated furniture and general household goods to help furnish the property.

The new arrivals have settled well in Pembrokeshire and into their roles at Capestone.

“They are quickly establishing themselves as key members of the team and will be crucial to the team as we begin our drive towards Christmas,’’ says Mr Bessant.

Capestone continues to be actively involved in offering further opportunities to Ukrainian families.

It has since recruited a further two Ukrainians nationals to its maintenance engineering team.