The group, aged 12 to 17, are spending this week in Birmingham - which is twinned with Zaporizhzhia - exploring the city and taking part in cultural, educational and community activities, organised through a partnership between the Bosnia and Herzegovina UK Network, Birmingham City Council and Zaporizhzhia City Council.

Today they met the Lord Mayor, Councillor Zaker Choudhry, and were also taken on a tour of the Council House, before exploring Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in the city centre.

Growing up against the backdrop of Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine, the young visitors will have the opportunity to spend time away from the pressures of daily life at home, experience Birmingham and the UK, and make new friendships.

Their programme includes civic and educational activities, cultural experiences across Birmingham, a visit to London and Parliament, plus trips to some of the West Midlands’ historic destinations - including Warwick Castle, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Brindley Cruises.

The visit forms part of the growing friendship between Birmingham and Zaporizhzhia, demonstrating how co-operation between cities can go beyond official relationships and create lasting connections between people.

At the heart of the project is a simple idea: a city that once welcomed people displaced by war is seeing those same communities help welcome others today.

In the 1990s, Bosnian genocide survivors were among those who found safety and a fresh start in Birmingham. Three decades later, the Bosnia and Herzegovina UK Network, established by that community, uses its experience and connections to support Ukrainians and other communities affected by war and displacement.

Bosnia House has played a central role in turning the Zaporizhzhia initiative into a community-wide effort. Working with Birmingham City Council and partners in Ukraine, it recruited and supported volunteer host families, co-ordinated safeguarding and practical arrangements, and is providing a community base for the group for their visit.

Host families across Birmingham and the surrounding area have welcomed these young people into their homes, so they will be able to experience everyday family life and the generosity of the city’s diverse communities.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zaker Choudhry, said: “Birmingham is proud to welcome these young people from Zaporizhzhia. Our city has a long tradition of welcoming people from across the world, including those who have been forced from their homes by conflict.

“This visit shows Birmingham at its best — our council, voluntary organisations, families and communities working together to offer friendship, support and a warm welcome.

“Organisations such as Bosnia House are a powerful example of how communities that once found safety and opportunity here have become an important part of Birmingham and are now helping others. I hope our young guests return home with wonderful memories, new friendships and the knowledge that they have friends here in Birmingham.”

Dr Anes Cerić, Honorary Consul of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Midlands and CEO of the Bosnia and Herzegovina UK Network, said:“Thirty years ago, Birmingham welcomed Bosnians who had been forced from their homes by war. The city opened its doors to us, helped us rebuild our lives and made us feel that we belonged. Today, British Bosnians are an established part of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, contributing to the social, economic, cultural and civic life of the region.

“Now we have an opportunity to extend that same welcome to young people from Ukraine. For us, this is what community means — people who once received support being able to offer that support to others.

“This project is also a reflection of Birmingham itself: a city shaped by many communities, where people from different backgrounds come together and stand alongside one another when it matters most.”

The group will return to Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, but it is hoped that friendships created during their stay will continue — strengthening the connection between the twin cities and demonstrating how a city’s welcome can be passed from one generation to another.