When two students, Sherri and Joshua, from Skyswood School, St Albans, saw what was happening in Ukraine they knew they wanted to do something to help. They wanted to 'Unite for Ukraine' and then decided that it should be a day to 'Reach out for Refugees' because Ukraine is not the only country from which refugees are fleeing. There are now over 20 schools that have said that they want to take part in a day of learning and solidarity on Monday 21st March 2022. They will be wearing something blue and yellow (the colours of Ukraine but also of Hertfordshire) and learning about what a refugee is and how people in Britain can help.

While Ukraine is rightly getting attention at the moment, we cannot forget the victims of other conflicts and disasters who have also had to leave everything they have known to try to find safety. Many refugees live in squalid camps while they wait for asylum applications to be processed, sometimes for years.

We need to remember that "refugee" is something that happens to people, it isn't who they are. They are people - fathers, mothers, sons, daughters just like anyone else and, just like anyone else, all they want to do is live their lives in safety, free from war & persecution.

Herts for Refugees (HfR) have been supporting vulnerable, displaced people since 2015. We send vital aid to Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Greece, France and most recently, Ukraine, working with local partners so we always know what is most needed. We also support people in the UK while they wait for their asylum claims to be processed.

At HfR we have no salaries and keep costs to an absolute minimum so we can get the maximum value from every donation. We only work with trusted local partners who share our ethos of delivering aid and services with dignity & compassion.

List of schools taking part: Skyswood School, Margaret Wix Primary School, St John Fisher School, Garden Fields JMI School, The Abbey CE VA Primary School, How Wood primary school & nursery, Bernards Heath Infant and Nursery School, Beaumont School, Fleetville Infant & Nursery School, Hardwood Hill Welwyn Garden City, Green Lanes primary school, Ridgeway Academy, High Wych CE Primary School, St. Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Bushey Manor Junior School & Bushey and Oxhey Infant School, Barley Barkway Federation, Aston St Mary's Primary School, Alban City school, Holwell school, Heathlands school, Simon Balle All-through School, Thorn Grove school, Oakwood school, Mill Mead school, Kings Langley Primary School, Reedinsg Junior School, Maple Primary School, Wheatfields junior school, Chancellor's School, St Paul's Cof E Primary School Chipperfield, Letchmore infants' & Nursery School, Barnwell School, Sandringham School, Springmead Primary School, Watford Grammar School for Girls, Sir John Lawes school, Camp Primary and Nursery School, Fairfields Primary School and Nursery, Cheshunt, Sandridge School, St Vincent de Paul School, Highwood Primary School, Prae Wood Primary & Nursery School, St Michaels Primary School, St Michael's CE Primary School, Meryfield community Primary school, Park Street C of E Primary School, Goldfield Infants' and Nursery School, Harpenden Academy, Roselands Primary School, HOBLETTS INFANTS AND NURSERY SCHOOL