Pupils, parents and school governors are hoping to soon welcome a Ukrainian mum and her six children to live in a refurbished bungalow in their primary’s grounds.

St Mary’s RC Primary School in Chepstow launched an appeal to house a family fleeing the invasion last month, and are now waiting for Liliya Onopa and her sons to obtain a visa in Romania.

Generous community sponsors paid for a taxi to spirit them away from war-torn Dnipro, so they could travel to Bucharest for the visa application to be processed.

St Mary’s Bungalow Appeal for Ukrainian Refugees organiser Louise Pavia said before last weekend’s journey: “Liliya’s travel plans have been made more difficult by the ever-changing scene in Ukraine.

“Her intention was to go via train and bus to Bucharest via Odessa, but the Russian bombing of the port city put paid to that.

“We have sent funds to Liliya so that she can pay for a taxi out of her area just north of Dnipro.”

The family arrived in Bucharest on Sunday, and Louise - mum of head girl Maddie and wife of local councillor Paul Pavia, said: “After that they have an interview with Embassy staff to validate their visa applications.

“Then they sit and wait for the wheels of bureaucracy to spin. Only when their visas are approved can we look at flying them to the UK.

“Liliya and family are so so grateful for all your support and prayers – coming to Wales will be a new beginning for them and we must ensure we do our best for them in the future.

“I cannot imagine how I would have coped arriving to live in a country where I did not speak the language and did not understand their customs, but for a mother with six children – that is surreal.”

The school’s PTA, governors, pupils and parishioners have joined together to upgrade the bungalow, previously used for storage, with the appeal so far raising nearly £6,000.

Louise added: “So much has happened in such a short time. Apart from a new bath and covering the soffits in UPVC, virtually all the work has been completed on the bungalow.

“New carpets throughout, every wall and door has been painted. It looks very different to the sad neglected bungalow of last month.

“Every room will be fully furnished next week and we are now in the process of making it fit for our family so we expect our expenses to rise, but not substantially…

“We could not have done this without the support of volunteers, donors, local firms and you for putting your hands deep into your pockets. The support has exceeded our wildest dreams.”

She said they were also delighted by the generosity of Barratts, who have started work repairing the retaining wall in front of the bungalow and fencing off the property, while Alcumus had provided brand new mattresses and paid for accommodation costs and living expenses for Liliya and family in Bucharest.

Funds raised to date for the renovation include £1,819 from the St Pierre Golf Club Men’s section from competition fees and a raffle, presented by men’s captain Steve Lowe and senior captain Jim Cook to pupils.

Another £2,795 has been raised from the GoFundMe appeal, while parish collections secured more than £1,400.

St Mary’s headteacher Rosie Cerqua said: “We are preparing to welcome any children requiring a school place into our school family.

“Our pupils are looking forward to making new friends, and as staff we have planned additional training, to be able to support the children who come to us.”

To support the appeal go to GoFundMe and search for St Mary’s Bungalow Appeal for Ukrainian Refugees.