Homing Ukrainian refugees

[mel b3]

Hiya guys .

Her good self and me , have spent the last week or so talking about taking in Ukrainian refugees.  We'd like to help , but we're unsure of the practicalities of it . 

We have a spare bedroom ( tiny) , that would be fine for a single person , but my lad has said that he'd be happy enough to move into the small room , so that we could offer his larger bedroom,  enabling us to take two or more refugees. 

We also have the option of turning the living room into a bedsit , and putting a triple bunk bed in there.

Has anyone got any previous experience of taking in refugees ? ( not Ukrainian I know). And can you offer any advice.

Some of the concerns we had were .

Can we afford it ? (it appears now that the government has that one covered).

Language / communication difficulties ( do most Ukrainians speak English?,  as our Ukrainian is zero).

Cultural differences.  Are British and Ukrainian cultures massively different,  and would we be able to rub along together ?.

Food differences.  Would we be able to eat the same food?, or would it mean separate cooking/ meal times ?.

Do the refugees look after themselves?.

How difficult is it to live in an overcrowded house ? , and could I tolerate screaming kids now that I'm getting on a bit ?.

Would it be better to offer accommodation to an old couple , or a mother and children , or someone with disabilities ?.

Would it be better/easier all around,  just to rent a bedsit (Theirs some just down the road) , and sponsor refugees in their own place ?.

How might homing refugees effect my fac/sgc ?.

Can we trust the government to send genuine Ukrainian refugees that are in genuine need , and not a handful of African economic migrants. 

Any other advice regarding other questions that we haven't thought about yet.

Hopefully someone can offer some advice from real experience. 

Feel free to pm me if you'd rather keep things private.

Thanks in anticipation for any advice guys.

 

 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Well done Mel and Lin and your lad.

Just seen the Government offering payments in support of people taking some Ukrainian refugees in

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, well done but I don't think it will be easy, 18 to 60 Ukrainian men will stay, most mums and children and grandparents, you could find out if there are Ukrainian nationals in your area and maybe they will help, 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Found this Mel;

Britons offering homes to Ukrainian refugees through a new humanitarian route will receive a “thank you” payment of £350 per month, the Government has announced.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme, to be rolled out this week, will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people fleeing the war to safety – even if they have no ties to the UK.

Sponsors can nominate a named Ukrainian individual or family to stay with them in their home, or offer a separate property for them to use rent-free.

It comes as the Government has faced criticism over the speed and scale of its efforts to bring fleeing Ukrainians to the UK.

People sponsoring refugees through the new uncapped route will be required to commit to the scheme for a minimum of six months, but are encouraged to keep up the offer for as long as they can.

And I know you are not doing it for the money, but if it is there, take it and put it to good use.

[mel b3]

42 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Well done Mel and Lin and your lad.

Just seen the Government offering payments in support of people taking some Ukrainian refugees in

We're only at the asking questions stage at the moment dave . 

One of the big concerns was , can we afford it ?, but I've seen this morning that the government are paying £350 per month for taking in refugees . With a bit of careful planning,  that would cover most of the cost of feeding and clothing a family of three , so we could quite easily cover any further costs.

33 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, well done but I don't think it will be easy, 18 to 60 Ukrainian men will stay, most mums and children and grandparents, you could find out if there are Ukrainian nationals in your area and maybe they will help, 

One of the thoughts that we had Gordon, was that we might be able to take someone that had  family nearby. 

Edited March 13, 2022 by mel b3

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, I'm still trying to locate my friend in KharKiv , 

[ditchman]

you can take me in if you like mel...and i will give you more that £350/mth

Edited March 13, 2022 by ditchman

[loriusgarrulus]

10 minutes ago, ditchman said:

you can take me in if you like mel...and i will give you more that £350/mth

Better start learning Ukrainian. 🤷‍♀️

[12gauge82]

What a kind thing to consider, whether you decide its right for you or not. 👍

[oowee]

We volunteered last week using shelter for UA. There is a lot of supporting resource through them. We are still waiting for the UK Govt to decide the parameters of the scheme and to let refugees come to the country.

There are many volunteers on the shelter for UA website mapped across the country. All sorts of different offers from houses to rooms, with and without pets. The scheme allows the volunteers to offer what they have and what they are willing to provide and allows refugees to decide if that proposition suits them. 

 

[mel b3]

8 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Found this Mel;

Britons offering homes to Ukrainian refugees through a new humanitarian route will receive a “thank you” payment of £350 per month, the Government has announced.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme, to be rolled out this week, will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people fleeing the war to safety – even if they have no ties to the UK.

Sponsors can nominate a named Ukrainian individual or family to stay with them in their home, or offer a separate property for them to use rent-free.

It comes as the Government has faced criticism over the speed and scale of its efforts to bring fleeing Ukrainians to the UK.

People sponsoring refugees through the new uncapped route will be required to commit to the scheme for a minimum of six months, but are encouraged to keep up the offer for as long as they can.

And I know you are not doing it for the money, but if it is there, take it and put it to good use.

I'd already seen the six month minimum thing dave , but lin and myself both agreed that it's more likely to be a six year commitment than a six month one . Looking at the mess that the Russians are making , many Ukrainians will never have anything to go home to.

I'm mindful,  but not too concerned , over the financial side of things . We're far from wealthy,  but relatively speaking , on easy street .  The main concern is what the future might have waiting for us.

31 minutes ago, ditchman said:

you can take me in if you like mel...and i will give you more that £350/mth

Our rooms aren't big enough to accommodate your 200 inch telly . We'd have to put it outside , and you could watch it through the window 😁.

[ditchman]

joking aside now.......the biggest problem facing us now is........Priti Patel..............the most useless peice of meat on this earth....we have an oportunity in this brexit world that cannot be missed...if we get our act together and really HELP these people NOW...we will be first in the que to help the Ukraines rebuild their country and we will have made a solid connection within europe for trading and friendship

Priti Patel is a total waste of oxygen..........get rid of the gobby slug 

[mel b3]

36 minutes ago, oowee said:

We volunteered last week using shelter for UA. There is a lot of supporting resource through them. We are still waiting for the UK Govt to decide the parameters of the scheme and to let refugees come to the country.

There are many volunteers on the shelter for UA website mapped across the country. All sorts of different offers from houses to rooms, with and without pets. The scheme allows the volunteers to offer what they have and what they are willing to provide and allows refugees to decide if that proposition suits them. 

 

That sounds like it might be a good starting point for us , thankyou 👍.

[chesterse]

I think it’s really commendable that people want to help Ukrainian refugees and take them into their homes.

However the government not getting on top of the illegal immigrant issue that is costing us millions every day and the disaster in social care and waiting times in the health service is not going to make things easy. 

[mel b3]

55 minutes ago, 12gauge82 said:

What a kind thing to consider, whether you decide its right for you or not. 👍

In all honesty , we know that it won't be a fantastic situation , but we feel that it's the right thing to try to do . Personally,  I think that the people of the UK will go above and beyond . It'll just take a little time to get the ball rolling.

27 minutes ago, ditchman said:

joking aside now.......the biggest problem facing us now is........Priti Patel..............the most useless peice of meat on this earth....we have an oportunity in this brexit world that cannot be missed...if we get our act together and really HELP these people NOW...we will be first in the que to help the Ukraines rebuild their country and we will have made a solid connection within europe for trading and friendship

Priti Patel is a total waste of oxygen..........get rid of the gobby slug 

Whilst I completely agree with you regarding pretty much all politicians . Sorting something like this out must be a complete nightmare for them . Putin would love nothing more than to sneak a few hundred sleepers into the UK,  so the government will ( should) be very careful about who is invited to stay.

Most people in the UK are sick to the back teeth with economic migrants,  but will welcome genuine refugees (of any natiinality)with open arms. 

As much as I'd like to agree that building relationships with the Ukraine would be beneficial to the British,  I fear that in a few weeks time , the Ukraine might be Russian territory,  and the British will not be welcome.

[oldypigeonpopper]

1 hour ago, mel b3 said:

We're only at the asking questions stage at the moment dave . 

One of the big concerns was , can we afford it ?, but I've seen this morning that the government are paying £350 per month for taking in refugees . With a bit of careful planning,  that would cover most of the cost of feeding and clothing a family of three , so we could quite easily cover any further costs.

One of the thoughts that we had Gordon, was that we might be able to take someone that had  family nearby. 

Hello, there must be Ukrainian nationals in your are it's just a matter of locating them

 

[mel b3]

2 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, there must be Ukrainian nationals in your are it's just a matter of locating them

 

I'll be following oowees lead , and hopefully it'll take me in that direction Gordon.👍.

[mel b3]

13 minutes ago, chesterse said:

I think it’s really commendable that people want to help Ukrainian refugees and take them into their homes.

However the government not getting on top of the illegal immigrant issue that is costing us millions every day and the disaster in social care and waiting times in the health service is not going to make things easy. 

One of my concerns ( mainly due to my mistrust of politicians and governments) , is signing an agreement to take refugees for a minimum of six months , then three thirty year old ex somali pirates turn up on my doorstep , and I have priti Patel telling me , sorry Mel,  you should have read the small print .

It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest , if the government used (abused)the generosity of the British public , to empty the hotels that are housing thousands of economic migrants. 

[oowee]

7 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, there must be Ukrainian nationals in your are it's just a matter of locating them

 

The shelter site allows the refugees to make the selection themselves. They can look on the map see where they have other friends and contacts and then look at the offers of rooms and homes nearby and select something that might suit. 

The needs of refugees will vary enormously. Small children will need access to schooling. A granny (Babushka 🙂) might not have english and require someone with Ukrainian or Russian. 

[oldypigeonpopper]

2 minutes ago, oowee said:

The shelter site allows the refugees to make the selection themselves. They can look on the map see where they have other friends and contacts and then look at the offers of rooms and homes nearby and select something that might suit. 

The needs of refugees will vary enormously. Small children will need access to schooling. A granny (Babushka 🙂) might not have english and require someone with Ukrainian or Russian. 

Hello, yes I checked out, if I could locate my friend in Kharkive I could help her if required, 

[ditchman]

32 minutes ago, mel b3 said:

In all honesty , we know that it won't be a fantastic situation , but we feel that it's the right thing to try to do . Personally,  I think that the people of the UK will go above and beyond . It'll just take a little time to get the ball rolling.

Whilst I completely agree with you regarding pretty much all politicians . Sorting something like this out must be a complete nightmare for them . Putin would love nothing more than to sneak a few hundred sleepers into the UK,  so the government will ( should) be very careful about who is invited to stay.

Most people in the UK are sick to the back teeth with economic migrants,  but will welcome genuine refugees (of any natiinality)with open arms. 

As much as I'd like to agree that building relationships with the Ukraine would be beneficial to the British,  I fear that in a few weeks time , the Ukraine might be Russian territory,  and the British will not be welcome.

and we should start with those traitors punting their views and doctrine on Russia Today.....Alex salmon....George whatnot (ex MP) et el...........they were happy to take the Kremlim buck

[oldypigeonpopper]

19 minutes ago, ditchman said:

and we should start with those traitors punting their views and doctrine on Russia Today.....Alex salmon....George whatnot (ex MP) et el...........they were happy to take the Kremlim buck

Hello, I agree, 👍

[bluesj]

A word of caution for SGC & FAC holders, How will you're local firearms licensing department view you having someone you know nothing about living in you're home?

someone i know was told that having a lodger could cause problems with he tickets!

[mel b3]

35 minutes ago, ditchman said:

and we should start with those traitors punting their views and doctrine on Russia Today.....Alex salmon....George whatnot (ex MP) et el...........they were happy to take the Kremlim buck

You've got my vote on that one mate 👍. 

[Dave-G]

Not that it matters in my case as we only have a small two bed semi - the second bedroom being cell sized. A better idea is to describe our house:  it was built as a 5 bed detached but knocked into two small conjoined semi's when the 5's weren't selling.

But I wonder if a person with second home/s could get two x £350 - a mother and child upstairs and similar downstairs.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Dave-G