Opening up our homes to Ukrainians

Scaf

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Well today I have been entertaining a rather energetic 9year old………. I was at a conference but came home early.
The language barrier with the older lady is ok, she is trying and we are using apps to help……
The young lad has very little English but understands more that he lets on …….
He likes cars so tomorrow I will introduce him to the Strad.
On a practical note, we opened bank accounts for the two adults today - Nat West were recommended and it was a simple process. All we had to do was write a letter to confirm they are living with us.
The younger last of working age keeps asking about getting a job, she only arrived yesterday, great work ethic.
She said, if I get a job now, i won’t need help from your government………..
They have some Ukrainian cash, no idea if that will be straight forward to exchange
 

Scaf

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6,511
Well we are 1 week in.
Family are more and more settled everyday and are now cooking their own meals which simplifies things.
Just about all formalities are complete but that has been a real struggle with so many people making excuses about not being able to do this or that because they are working from home (see rant thread).
We have introduced them to other local Ukrainian families, some already living here, other fleeing the war, so they that has helped a lot.
Still no financial support coming through for them, so it’s a good job we are able to look after them without it putting pressure on us.
The young lad has a scooter (donated) and I will pick up an eBay bike tomorrow paid for from a donation.
They are really lovely, very humble and very grateful.
 

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Felonious Crud

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Well we are 1 week in.
Family are more and more settled everyday and are now cooking their own meals which simplifies things.
Just about all formalities are complete but that has been a real struggle with so many people making excuses about not being able to do this or that because they are working from home (see rant thread).
We have introduced them to other local Ukrainian families, some already living here, other fleeing the war, so they that has helped a lot.
Still no financial support coming through for them, so it’s a good job we are able to look after them without it putting pressure on us.
The young lad has a scooter (donated) and I will pick up an eBay bike tomorrow paid for from a donation.
They are really lovely, very humble and very grateful.
Respect, Sam. Bundles and bundles of respect.
 
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Imagine all the things that we take for granted, that your guests are going to experience for the first time.
Toad in the hole. Spotted dick, Arbroath Smokies and so on.
This afternoon, I heard someone on Radio4 who is also hosting, describe how they ordered in fish and chips, battered sausages, chips and curry sauce etc etc and at first the Ukrainians were pretty sceptical about food delivered to your door in newspaper. But after one chip, they were converted apparently.
All they need exposure to now is an Oirish Bar and those, together with fish and chip shops will position Ukraine nicely for accelerated EU membership.
 

Scaf

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6,511
A little update.

Just about all the “officialdom” has been concluded including a school place - and the mother has a second interview next week for a job as a teaching assistant. The desire to work is very admirable, she has only been in the country 15 days !!

One unexpected hassle is chasing out the emergency support vouchers that rely on the “pay point” service. These are mainly located in small convenience stores / garages, the only option is to withdraw £100. but of course these places have time locked cash safes and policies that don’t alow more than about that in the till, so you often get turned away.

On the end I found a small independent store that offered to cash the final two but transferring the cash to my bank, I can the withdraw from cash point and hand it over. Long winded but gets it done.

As I have said before, anyone who is thinking about doing this, I am happy to try and help with advice on how we overcame some of the problems we faced.
 

jasst

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2,313
You may remember early in this thread I mentioned about a Ukrainian you tuber who had fled the country, well she ended up in Denmark. Yesterday they returned to Ukraine, hear is what she said about the reason for returning to a war zone
Olga Reznikova4 hours ago
Why I am back to Ukraine? Well, besides the fact that it is my country and my home... ❤ Try to do exercise: Load your car in 2 hours with some stuff plus add 2 kids, your husband/wife and 2 elder parents. Go to another country, which is at least 3-4 times more expensive than yours and stay there for unknown amount of months with no ideas when you will be allowed to work and idea about future income. And consider you need to start a life from zero from the day one. You need: Pay rent of your new place (yes, yes, even if you are "refugee" and got place from government - you are paying for it) All Furniture Clothes for the whole family Toys and books for kids Kitchen appliances All kind of any stuff at home Besides you have to pay your apartment rent in Ukraine even you are not living there and not working. Also you just bought an apartment and car in installment and have to pay regardless if there is a war or end of the world. So... Yes, it is dangerous. Yes, Ukraine is under attack. But if I have chance to come, why to not use it?
So it would appear that life is not as straight forward for them in some of our neighbouring country's either.
Show less
IKvBlhlNowdReKEGR4bCsvmiCpdE8uyJIn5xMgwpg3sDu75y1tuer1bAsr8iOOAUiyNU1d9Lj1W_hA=s1600-nd-v1
 

Scaf

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6,511
I will listen / watch that later, but today I was with people whose houses, in fact the whole City in which they lived, has been bombed into oblivion, so they have nothing to return to.
I have three Ukrainians living with me, none of them want to be here, they all would prefer to be at home in Ukraine and will most likely return when they can.
I imagine one big difference from the video and the reality for some Ukrainians is location, location, location - she has referenced she is in Western Ukraine.
As I understand it, the situation in the South and the East around the Donbas is rather different and in the Russian occupied areas woman would not be venturing out on their own.
 
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jasst

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2,313
An update on the family I posted about before, they are now in the UK, having returned home to Ukraine after an unsuccessful stay in Denmark it proved too dangerous to stay in Ukraine, so they are finally here
 

Scaf

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That’s fantastic - we have found it a very rewarding thing to do.

If you need any advice on getting things sorted now they are here, please feel free to PM me.
 

HenrysDad

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443
We are getting settled and a new world of home office, benefits etc etc opens up for us! Both are looking for work and frankly will succeed. Igor is a swimming teacher for the disabled and the Mrs has already beaten our gym up and told them to give him a job. ( he is disabled himself)
Thanks to Scaf for the initial website advice. Henry is taking him to a concert of dodgy rock at our pub tonight.
 

Scaf

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6,511
Well our journey has come to an end, well moved to the next phase.

As the war is dragging in and there is no end in sight, our guests felt it was time to try and find their own place.

Both the adults have found work the little boy has settled in school.

Finding a flat / small house in our town proved very difficult
  • shortage of properties driving up rents
  • guests failing management agent reference checks
One option was to offer to be a guarantor, but I did not like the idea of being “on the hook” for the long term

In the end we found a landlord who was happy to take them, we gave them the 5 months @ £350 that the government had given us, to pay the deposit and they move out officially tomorrow.

They are just round the corner and we will continue to support them from a distance, but they have started a new journey now.

It has been a very rewarding thing for us to have done, and we have no regrets.