ROTARY District 1040 funding has helped Aireborough Rotary Club fund English classes for Ukrainian refugees living locally for the past three months. At Christmas the grant enabled £30 vouchers for toys to be given to every individual child and in January a surprise visit was arranged for the whole group to attend a production of Beauty and the Beast in Yeadon Town Hall organised by Yeadon Charities.

Course leader Julia Zarubinska-Toepritz said: "I got so many messages of gratitude asking to be sent to the club. Both parents and children really enjoyed it. One dad said that it felt like he completely forgot the situation they are in for two hours and laughed and sang along. Even when the Ukrainians were not able to get the jokes, they still laughed because everybody else did and it was contagious! It was such an important evening for them at a brilliant venue."

The Aireborough Club was also involved in the show’s run with Club President John Kitching playing the comedic role of Frenchman Alphonse and Sergeant-at-Arms Peter Long having both written the script and as prompter ensuring that everyone stuck to their lines.