'Huge' need for more hosts for Ukrainian families

An organisation supporting Ukrainians in the UK said there was a "huge" need for more volunteers to host people fleeing Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began four and a half years ago.

Swindon Welcomes Ukrainians (SWU) said the town had already welcomed more than 500 people since 2022 through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

But SWU vice-chair, Kris Talikowski, said there had never been "a more pressing time" for people who had not previously hosted to put themselves forward.

It comes as Swindon stages one of Britain's biggest Ukrainian festivals over the weekend, and continues to pursue the formal process of a twinning association with Rivne in north-western Ukraine.

Talikowski said he believed there was currently "as great a demand" from Ukrainians who want to leave their country as there had been at the start of the war in 2022.

"The Ukrainians who have been there for four years have absolutely had enough," he said.

"In the beginning, they might have said: 'I'll stick this out, it's not going to last long - we'll be able to outsee this'.

"Now they are in a very difficult, dark place."

Talikowski said Swindon Borough Council and local people had already offered "an incredibly supportive and warm welcome" to Ukrainians who had arrived in the town over the past four years, but suggested about 50 additional hosts were required.

"There's a huge push, even now, to find new hosts who have spare rooms and are happy to welcome a Ukrainian or Ukrainian family for a minimum of six months and provide a safe sanctuary for those escaping the war," he said.

Three people have come forward just this week and expressed an interest in hosting.

One of them, Marina Strinkovsky - a councillor for Eastcott ward - believes it could be a "wonderful" opportunity for cultural exchange.

"I see my job as offering a person, who is in need, a stable foundation on which to rebuild their life in the UK.

"How they do that is up to them, not up to me. I'm not coming with some kind of well-developed philanthropic intent because people who come from Ukraine already have mothers, and they may not need me.

If a friendship developed that would be a bonus, she said.

"But it shouldn't be imposed on people - because the refugees who come are in a very vulnerable situation and may feel under duress to let you into their lives because they feel beholden to you."

Recent figures from Swindon Borough Council show a total of 567 Ukrainians have been supported through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, of whom 84 are still living with hosts, 231 have resettled into private lets in Swindon, and 252 have since left the town.

A spokesperson said homes were needed, not only for Ukrainians wishing to come to the UK for the first time, but for those already living here whose existing hosting arrangement is ending.

Initial steps for potential hosts include security checks, carried out by the Home Office, followed by a safeguarding process organised by the council, and, finally, a meeting between the prospective host and guest.

Eligible hosts currently receive a 'thank you' payment of £350 per month.

This weekend marks the fourth annual UkraineFest in Swindon, attracting more than 4,000 people to the celebrations in the Town Gardens, Old Town on Saturday.

Maryna Shpylova, who arrived in the town three years ago and now runs the Ukrainian Choir, said the event was more than just a celebration of Ukrainian culture and music.

"It's about unity - not just for Ukrainians, but for English people too - because we feel welcomed and accepted here.

"We touched the hearts of English people, even though they didn't understand the language - maybe they feel the pain within our soul," she said.

Anastasiia Banatska, SWU chair, said the festival also provided an opportunity to recognise the growing friendship between Swindon and Rivne, following a visit by the Mayor of Rivne, Viktor Shakyrzian, in June.

"The friendship between Swindon and Rivne has grown from acts of kindness shown by local people when Ukrainians first arrived here.

"To see that relationship developing into a formal partnership between our two communities is incredibly emotional and something many Ukrainians in Swindon are proud to celebrate," she said.

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