British couple re-design house for Ukrainian family with disabled son

Kind-hearted British couple re-design their house for Ukrainian family with disabled son – as quaint cottages and suburban six-beds are among the 100,000 homes ready to welcome fleeing refugees

• Gareth and Gemma Porter, from Dover, Kent, plan to install a ramp and kitchenette for wheelchair-user Roman
• It comes ahead of his arrival with sister Roxy, 22, her partner and mother after they fled Kyiv two weeks ago
• Family journeyed through Poland, Germany and Belgium before getting to Calais, where they are in a hostel
• Gareth said: ‘We’re safe, and we’re warm and the kids are fed, not struggling out on the streets in the cold’
• Have YOU got plans to house a Ukrainian family? Email [email protected] or [email protected] 

Have YOU got plans to host a Ukrainian family?

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

A kind-hearted British couple has started redesigning their whole house so they can host a Ukrainian family with a disabled son after they fled Vladimir Putin’s wrath.

Gareth and Gemma Porter from Dover in Kent are planning to install a ramp and a kitchenette for wheelchair-user Roman Mokhnenko ahead of his arrival with sister Roxy, 22, her partner and her mother.

The Mokhnenkos said they were overwhelmed with gratitude to the Porters as they planned their route from a cramped hostel near Lille in France after fleeing the war-torn capital of Kyiv two weeks ago. 

Roxy, who is learning to be an interpreter at a university in Ukraine, told ITV Meridian: ‘You can’t really explain the fear. I was scared I would be waiting for the train, and they will bomb everything, and we will die there.’

The family journeyed through Poland, Germany and Belgium before making it to Calais in France. They have been staying in a hostel which, unlike their home in Kyiv, does not have a specially adapted bathroom.

Gareth, who has been in contact with the Mokhnenkos while they apply for their visas, said: ‘We’re safe, and we’re warm and the kids are fed, not struggling out on the streets in the cold.

‘We’re offering a safe warm environment. We are going to adapt the house, so we hopefully suit their needs, and offer them somewhere to live.’

The comments came as the number of British families offering to open their homes to refugees soared to 122,305 yesterday.

Gareth and Gemma Porter (both pictured above) from Dover in Kent are planning to install a ramp and a kitchenette for wheelchair-user Roman Mokhnenko ahead of his arrival with sister Roxy, 22, her partner and her mother

The comments came as the number of British families offering to open their homes to refugees soared to 122,305 yesterday. Pictured: the home of Lynn Lister, who said she has three bedrooms in her five-bedroom house up for grabs in Bedfordshire

Meanwhile Lillie Alexander, from the South Coast, also put out a call for those looking for a place to stay (her cottage, above)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which launched the Britain’s Homes for Ukraine initiative this week, said the number of Britons willing to open up their homes to Ukrainians had skyrocketed from just 44,000 the previous night. 

Many are also posting their own adverts to host a family rather than using the government scheme.

Meanwhile, one of the first refugees to escape the war in Ukraine under the Government’s fast-track visa scheme for relatives of British citizens has spoken of her ordeal. 

Maryna Makarenko, 33, and her husband Denis, 44, fled with their seven-year-old daughter Myroslava as missiles rained on their home city of Kharkiv in north- eastern Ukraine. 

The mother and daughter have now found sanctuary with their British relatives who helped them obtain a visa from Poland, while Denis remains in Krakow waiting for his visa to be processed. 

After several nights of intense bombing at the beginning of this month, Maryna and Denis grabbed what they could and headed for the train station and taking a 20-hour journey to the relative safety of Lviv in western Ukraine.

From there, the exhausted family made it over the border to Przemysl, Poland, on March 4. Denis was allowed to leave the country due to a disability.

On Monday the mother and daughter flew on to Bristol having secured one of the first UK family visas issued for Ukrainian refugees since the war began.

George Hill, 83,and wife Svitlana, 66, and her daughter-in-law Maryna, 33, have just arrived with her seven-year-old daughter Myroslva from Ukraine

Maryna Makarenko, 33, and her husband Denis, 44, fled with their seven-year-old daughter Myroslava as missiles rained on their home city of Kharkiv in north-eastern Ukraine 

‘It’s just so difficult leaving my family behind,’ said Maryna, as her mother-in-law, who has lived in the UK for more than 15 years, translated for her.

‘My mother is 65 and is a widow and is on her own. Initially we didn’t think we’d have to leave but on the morning of February 24 we woke up in Kharkiv to the sound of air raid sirens.

‘We weren’t sure what was happening at first but it became clear when we had to spend three nights in the basement of a friend’s house to avoid the bombs.

‘We’d wake up during the night with explosions and gunfire very close. The house would shake and the windows of our building were blown in.’ The family left Kharkiv on March 1. 

‘The train station was so frightening,’ recalled Maryna. ‘Men were trying to push their wives and children inside already crowded trains. Everyone was desperately trying to call family members as news kept coming in about more bombs and more destroyed homes.’ 

After arriving in Lviv the family made their way by train again to Przemysl in Poland and on to Rzeszow, where a makeshift refugee visa centre was processing applicants wanting to get to the UK.

Incredibly, Svitlana, 66, Maryna’s Ukrainian mother-in-law, flew from the UK to help them fill out the paperwork. Days later Maryna and Myroslava flew to the UK and are now living in Weston-super-Mare with Svitlana and her British husband George Hill, 83, a retired Ministry of Defence police officer.

Little Myroslava said yesterday: ‘I’ve left all my friends behind and my piano, which I love playing. My parents also promised to take me horse riding for my birthday next month but now that’s impossible.’

United Nations data has shown 1.4million children – nearly one a second – have become refugees since the start of the war.

James Elder, of the UN children’s agency Unicef, also described how doctors in Ukraine are being forced to prioritise wounded children with coloured stickers – a black one indicating they must be left to die.

Niyara Mamontova, 40, and her seven-year-old daughter Eleanora, are among the first families to be resettled in the UK

They will move in with Si and Don Morris-Green and their two children in Hampshire after connecting on Facebook

Mr Elder, who has spent two weeks in Lviv, said: ‘A green sticker on a child means injured but we leave them, yellow sticker on a child means needs attention, a red sticker on a child means critical attention immediately.

‘And when the paediatricians are forced to put a black sticker on a child, it means the child is alive, but do not give attention, because we don’t have the resources and that child will die.’ 

Further details of how UK hosts will be matched with refugees will emerge in the next few days, a government spokesman said.

Those fleeing will also be able to bring their pets to the UK under a fast track procedure. Animal welfare minister Lord Goldsmith said the Government would cover vaccination, microchipping and quarantine costs.

Among the first to find refuge are Niyara Mamontova, 40, and her seven-year-old daughter Eleanora, who will move in with Si and Don Morris-Green and their two children in Hampshire after connecting on Facebook, according to the Times.

Mamontova and her daughter fled Kharkiv as surgeon husband, Ivan Mamontov, stayed behind to work. The couple were celebrating a friend’s birthday at a local cafe just hours before the conflict began. 

‘I drove home and woke up at 5am on the 24th when we heard a bomb,’ she told the paper. ‘I sat on my bed staring out the window at the dark and thought, it was so loud it must have been a nuclear bomb.’

The family explained how they slept on the floors of underground stations for three days as bombing continued in the areas around their home. Mamontova added: ‘After that night, when we saw our neighbour died too, we decided to save our daughter.’   

It comes after it emerged that only 4,600 visas have been issued so far to Ukrainians who want to stay with their families in the UK. 

Many took to social media and refugee groups to help host Ukrainians instead, due to Homes For Ukraine needing Britons to name the Ukrainian they wish to sponsor. 

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the parents of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn has said his family will ‘take in as many people as we can’ after signing up to help people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Radd Seiger, whose grandmother was born in the country’s capital, Kyiv, said he will be contacting refugee charities to open up his home in south Northamptonshire to a family.   

Another man said he was ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees into his home to repay the British government after they gave sanctuary to his great-grandfather over a century ago during the Russian pogroms.

A Ukrainian family (pictured) who escaped Vladimir Putin’s bombs could become the first to be rehoused in Britain after being offered a place at a six-bedroom mansion in Yorkshire

They are looking to get to the UK in the next week after fleeing across the Ukraine border into Moldova when Russia invaded Ukraine last month. Pictured: Mr and Mrs O’Brien

What are the rules for accepting Ukrainian refugees? 

• Sponsors will have to provide accommodation for a minimum of six months.  
• The Government will provide a monthly payment of £350 to sponsors per family they look after.
• The payments are tax-free and will not affect benefit entitlement or council tax status.
• Ukrainians arriving in the UK will also have access to the full range of public services, doctors and schools for up to three years
• Sponsors will need to undergo criminal record vetting before accepting refugees.
• Anyone who has lived in the UK legally for at least six months can apply to take in a refugee 
• The hosts do not have to be British citizens 
• Prospective sponsors should register at the Homes for Ukraine website 

The Ukraine crisis rumbled on through Tuesday as bombs continued to bring more death and destruction and Russian troops continued their assault on Kyiv.

The capital’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko ordered a curfew and warned civilians to prepare for an intense period of bombardment after four people were killed in strikes in the city this morning. 

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine must accept it will not join NATO, which could lead to a peace deal with Putin after he demanded it abandon plans with the alliance.

Mr and Mrs Kucher got in touch with Mr and Mrs O’Brien and their three daughters – Emily, 19, Maddie, 16, and Kitty, 11 – through EU4UA, which matches refugees with hosts independent of the government system.

But the British family registered with the Homes For Ukraine site last night so they could make the move official.

The Kutchers had earlier feared they would be trapped in Moldova without an income from their jobs at private schools.

The O’Briens meanwhile said they would host the family ‘for as long as they need’, with the Ukrainians hoping to remain with them for around a year to save disrupting their children’s education.

Mrs O’Brien told the Telegraph: ‘We are ex-Londoners and bought a six-bedroomed house in Driffield. We are lucky enough to have the space and only five of us in our house.

‘I can see Lillia is scared. Food is running out. Petrol is running low and it is three hours’ drive to the airport. All the other countries are helping and I want to do everything in my power to help them feel safe, loved and supported. It is our duty and besides, would we not want the same if it were us?

‘Their home, business, and livelihood have been destroyed, but not their future. We, with the help of others, will make sure of that.’

The Kutcher family fled their home in Mogilev-Podolsky on February 24 as bombs reigned down just 80 miles away.

They made it into Moldova and registered with EU4UA and was offered places across the world, with her choosing five families in Britain.

She said: ‘All of them answered and were ready to support my family and me. It was difficult to talk on the site, so Sabrina and I opened a Facebook link. It was easier for us to communicate, so we became very close. We had the same points of view.’

The Kutchers (pictured, the daughters) had earlier feared they would be trapped in Moldova without an income from their jobs at private schools

Mr and Mrs Kucher got in touch with Mr and Mrs O’Brien and their three daughters – Emily, 19, Maddie, 16, and Kitty, 11 – through EU4UA, which matches refugees with hosts independently of the government system. Pictured: Lillia and her daughter Victoria

Meanwhile Charlie Rubin (right, with his girlfriend Constance Campbell), 30, from Shepherd’s Bush, west London, has been particularly moved by the crisis in Ukraine as the situation echoes what his relative went through in the early 1900’s

The doctor added: ‘We have a cat but no children. We have good bus links to local cities as well as shops and businesses within walking distance’

Ms Alexander said: ‘My husband and I, both 30 years old, are offering a spare room in our house on the south coast of the UK’

Up in Cumbria, Keren Simons told MailOnline she was desperate to help and has a spare room available in a ‘quiet, peaceful market town’

In Tiverton, Devon, Juliana Lim (pictured) also wants to help out. She said: ‘I have signed up to offer an ensuite room. It’s a privilege to be able to help in such a crisis. I hope to be able to help another woman and child’

Ms Lim’s house is pictured with Christmas lights outside of it in the town of Tiverton in Devon

Ms Lim (pictured, her spare room) said: ‘I’m a care worker and a single mum and know what it’s like to be insecure. I live in the beautiful mid Devon town of Tiverton. The local hotel is already being used to house refugees and Tiverton is a welcoming market town’

Kyiv braces for 36 hours of hell

Kyiv is bracing for 36 hours of hell after Mayor Vitali Klitschko today ordered a curfew and warned civilians to prepare for an intense period of Russian bombardment after four people were killed in strikes on the capital this morning.

Former boxing champion Klitschko announced today a 36-hour curfew from 8pm (6pm GMT) on Tuesday until 7am (5am GMT) on Thursday at the ‘decision of the military command’ under which ‘movement around Kyiv without special permits is forbidden’ with civilians only allowed outside to ‘get to the shelters’.

It comes as Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky, speaking to European leaders in London, described NATO as ‘the strongest alliance in the world’ but warned international leaders that ‘some of the members of this alliance are hypnotised by Russian aggression’.

Meanwhile Russian forces have launched fresh attacks in Ukraine’s capital, which has nearly been encircled by Moscow’s troops in the third week of the invasion and that has lost an estimated half of its 3.5-million pre-war population.

‘Today is a difficult and dangerous moment,’ Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram. ‘This is why I ask all Kyivites to get prepared to stay at home for two days, or if the sirens go off, in the shelters.’

Zelensky today warned that NATOs refusal to implement a no-fly zone over his homeland ‘allows the Russian army to bombard peaceful cities and blow up housing blocks and hospitals and schools.’ He was speaking as the Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers were travelling to Kyiv by train in the first visit by foreign leaders to the capital.

The much-anticipated Homes For Ukraine scheme kicked off on Monday as more than 100,000 people rushed to offer their support for those escaping the horrors in eastern Europe.

The government website was flooded with so many users it crashed last night but appeared to be working as normal this morning.

On the first day 44,000 people signed up to the initiative, but that figure skyrocketed to 88,712 as of Tuesday morning, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said.

Later on Tuesday afternoon Boris Johnson announced it had skyrocketed to more than 100,000.

The PM tweeted: ‘It’s fantastic that over 100,000 people and organisations have recorded their interest in supporting Ukrainians fleeing the war.

‘Thank you to everyone across the country who has stepped up to offer their help so far.’

But some opted to post their own adverts on social media or through refugee charities amid confusion at Homes For Ukraine needing the names of Ukrainians the applicant wants to host.

One group, called Accommodation, Help and Shelter For Ukraine has been backed by more than 55,000 followers across Europe since it was set up, with thousands of Britons posting their homes on the site.

Among them is Ian Foxley and his wife, with them looking to welcome a family at their sprawling country mansion just outside York in northern England.

Mr Foxley, who is finishing off a PhD at York University, and his wife, who is a teacher, said they have two double bedrooms available.

He said: ‘We have a large country house in a small village 10 miles outside York in the UK with a good bus service into the city where there are also good work opportunities.

‘We have two double bedrooms available and the village has both a kindergarten and a primary school. Our children have grown up and live in London and overseas, so we can provide a safe refuge.

‘My wife is a teacher and I am just completing a PhD at the University of York. We also have two dogs, Brenna and Maya, who are very child friendly.’

Lillie Alexander, from Hampshire, also put the call out for those looking for a place to stay. She said: ‘My husband and I, both 30 years old, are offering a spare room in our house on the south coast of the UK.

‘We have a cat but no children. We have good bus links to local cities as well as shops and businesses within walking distance.

‘I am a doctor and my husband runs a restaurant. We have a room to offer to a young couple, mother and child or single woman via the new UK refugee pathway opening this week.’ 

The spokesman for the parents of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn has said his family will ‘take in as many people as we can’ after signing up to help people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Radd Seiger, whose grandmother was born in the country’s capital, Kyiv, said he will be contacting refugee charities to open up his home in south Northamptonshire to a family.

He said: ‘I’ve been trying to think of ways over the last few weeks of how I can personally help.

‘I’ve thought about travelling to Poland or Ukraine to help but it seems the best way I can help is to take in a Ukrainian family to offer them some respite from the trauma they have been suffering.

‘We’ll take in as many people as we possibly can.’

Mr Seiger, a retired lawyer, has spent the last two-and-a-half years representing the family of Mr Dunn, who was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car outside US military base RAF Croughton on October 27 2019.

The driver, American Anne Sacoolas, 44, had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf following the crash and was able to leave the country, sparking an international controversy.

Asked about his personal ties to Ukraine, Mr Seiger said: ‘My grandmother was born in Kyiv and left, as so many millions did in those days, to the United States in search of a better life.

‘I inevitably feel close to these people and I can’t just sit here and watch them suffer.

‘I wouldn’t say it’s the reason I’m doing this, but obviously I feel compelled to help.’

Giving a message to anyone thinking of taking in a Ukrainian family, Mr Seiger added: ‘I appreciate that many people are not in a position to do so, but I would encourage anyone who is in a position to do so to take that leap of faith.

‘There’s going to be an exodus and it will only increase as time goes on.

‘We can’t turn a blind eye to that. People should do the right thing and welcome them in with open arms.’

Pictured: Radd Seiger, the spokesman for the parents of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn, has said his family will ‘take in as many people as we can’ after signing up to help people fleeing the war in Ukraine because his grandmother was born in Kyiv

Previously only Ukrainians with family members already settled in the UK could come. But under the new scheme, sponsors can provide a route for Ukrainians without family ties to come to the UK. Pictured: The Homes for Ukraine website

Ex-RAF chief warns the world could be only ‘a few steps’ from atomic weapons being used

Nuclear war is ‘no longer unthinkable’ and atomic weapons ‘could’ be used as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, a former military chief warned today.

Air Marshal Edward Stringer said Vladimir Putin sanctioning the deployment of nuclear weapons was ‘in the realms of possibility’ and ‘only a few steps away’.

He added that this was a ‘pretty terrifying prospect’ and it would ‘clearly be weighing on the minds of those who are making all the political calculations’.

The former Director-General of Joint Force Development at Strategic Command and RAF Assistant Chief of Air Staff was asked today about the chance of nuclear war.

And he told LBC: ‘It’s no longer unthinkable and it will clearly be weighing on the minds of those who are making all the political calculations at the moment.’

A couple in Dover, Gareth and Gemma Porter, have said they will adapt their house so that a Ukrainian family – who have a disabled son – can live with them at their house. 

Roxy Mokhnenko, 22, fled Kyiv two weeks ago with her partner, mother and brother Roman who uses a wheelchair. She said she was overwhelmed by Gareth and Gemma’s kind offer.

‘We have plenty of space which we can offer to people,’ Gareth told ITV Meridian. 

‘We’re safe, and we’re warm and the kids are fed, not struggling out on the streets in the cold.

‘We’re offering a safe warm environment. We are going to adapt the house, so we hopefully suit their needs, and offer them somewhere to live.’

The couple are planning to redesign their home and install a ramp so that Roman can move around freely. 

‘I really appreciate that people are ready to have another four people they don’t really know, they’re accepting people in their house,’ said Roxy. 

‘This for me is really really special and I can’t imagine how they feel right now and I’m really grateful and really thankful to them.’ 

Lynn Lister said she has three bedrooms in her five-bedroom house up for grabs in Bedfordshire – a double and two singles.

She said: ‘We are C of E but not churchgoers, we have two pet cats and I am a member of the local WI and my husband the gardening club.

‘Our garden is a decent child proof area. We are happy to commit to housing a family for whatever length is required, if they were able to speak some English it would obviously be preferable as I’m not very good at languages.

‘We all pray to an end to the fighting but regardless help to rebuild their lives is going to be a long bumpy road with lots of problems.’

Another looking to host is Sacha Pilkington and his girlfriend, who live on a picturesque farm in rural Devon in the south west of the country.

The former primary school teacher turned farmer and businessman was offering a static caravan and a job if their guests want one. He said: ‘We have a nice caravan on our small farm in South Devon.

‘We live in a static caravan ourselves so don’t have a house to offer yet but you’d have your own space, with heating, hot water, bathroom, cooking facilities and lots of space for children to run around.

‘We have older children and a baby. My girlfriend is a Secondary school English Teacher, I am an ex-Primary teacher and now have business working on campervans and we run the farm together with pigs and poultry and organic vegetable growing.

‘We may be able to offer you some work if you would like it but you’re not obliged. There are good local schools. We are rural but with a village nearby and beautiful quiet area.’

Down the road in Tiverton, Juliana Lim also wants to help out.

She said: ‘I have signed up to offer an ensuite room. It’s a privilege to be able to help in such a crisis. I hope to be able to help another woman and child.

‘I’m a care worker and a single mum and know what it’s like to be insecure. I live in the beautiful mid Devon town of Tiverton. The local hotel is already being used to house refugees and Tiverton is a welcoming market town.’

Ms Lister said: ‘We are C of E but not churchgoers, we have two pet cats and I am a member of the local WI and my husband the gardening club’

Ms Lister is pictured with her husband – they are both retired and live in Bedfordshire

On the other side of the south coast, Malcolm Greenhill in St Leaonards on Sea, near Hastings, has two spare bedrooms available.

He said: ‘My wife and I would like to invite the family of a brave Ukrainian fighter to live with us. Since our sons left home we have two spare bedrooms and a private bathroom in a large comfortable house in a quiet location.

‘We have a secure garden where children can play safely. We have two small very friendly dogs. We are business owners so we can offer paid work if you have suitable skills or education.’ 

China says it is ‘always opposed to using sanctions to solve problems’ because they ‘harm people’s livelihoods in all countries’

China has declared it is ‘always opposed to using sanctions to solve problems’ because they ‘harm people’s livelihoods in all countries’ in the latest sign of growing frustration over the consequences of Putin’s war in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking during a phone call with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares on Tuesday, said that China ‘must not be affected’ by the West’s sanctions because the country ‘is not party to the crisis ‘.

China has ‘always opposed using sanctions to solve problems, let alone unilateral sanctions that has no basis in international law, which will… harm people’s livelihood in all countries’, Wang said. Almost three weeks after Russian troops marched into Ukraine, Moscow’s forces have bombarded and besieged several towns and cities. Fighting has killed thousands and destroyed infrastructure, as well as causing millions to flee the country.

Wang’s comments were published after a seven-hour meeting between high-ranking US and Chinese officials in Rome, at which Washington said the US had expressed concern about ‘alignment’ between Russia and China. Moscow and Beijing have drawn closer in recent times, in what Washington sees as an increasingly hostile alliance of the authoritarian nuclear powers.

Beijing has refused to condemn Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and abstained from a vote at the United Nations calling out Russian aggression last month. The Communist state has walked a diplomatic tightrope since the start of the war on February 24 in order to preserve vital trade links with Russia which is now facing serious economic woes have being targeted by sanctions.

Meanwhile in Chorley in in the North West 32-year-old Gary McFarlane also listed a large room for a Ukrainian couple or individual.

He said: ‘I have a comfortable home and can offer a spare en-suite bedroom. I work in human resources and I’m familiar with UK Visas and Immigration. I am caring and compassionate.

‘I live on my own and have a small dog called Sam. I have had a lodger in the past – the girl in my profile photo who is now a very good friend – and this worked well.

‘I am a gay man. The room is suitable for a woman/man/couple. I can sponsor long-term and commit to the minimum six-month period under the scheme.’

In the capital Simon Reeves registered his interest to house a refugee, writing they have a spare room up for grabs in Clapham in the south east of the city.

He added: ‘We are a gay male couple with dogs in Clapham, London with a spare room, and en suite bathroom. It’s a double bed, has a big TV and lovely views of London.

‘Seeking one person who is gay/ gay-friendly and dog loving. We’ll be happy to support financially until you’re on your feet.’

Up in Cumbria, Keren Simons told MailOnline she was desperate to help and has a spare room available in a ‘quiet, peaceful market town’.

She said: ‘I have been watching the heartbreaking images of those poor women and children and am desperate to help.

‘We live in Cumbria on the fringes of the Lake District in a quiet, peaceful market town. I cannot think of many places safer to house a family traumatised by recent events.

‘I have registered on the Government website but I cannot name any individuals as I have no ties to Ukraine. I have also registered with the Charity Sanctuary who were asking people to pledge to offer help. I hadn’t heard from them yet. I think it is bonkers that you have to name individuals you want to help.

‘Surely the emphasis should be on getting those poor people out of camps and into homes and then sorted out paperwork. This government can’t seem to organised anything very well.

‘I’m frustrated as there is an empty room here with a separate bathroom for someone in need and yet they cannot access it.’

Meanwhile Charlie Rubin, 30, has been particularly moved by the crisis in Ukraine as the situation echoes what his relative went through in the early 1900’s.

In 1910, Wilhelm Dank, Mr Rubin’s great grandfather on his father’s side, fled violent Russian pogroms and massacres in the Pale of Settlement.

Left to right: Shirley Rubin, Wilhelm Dank (red circle), Jinny (Charlie’s great-grandmother), Marcia (Shirley’s sister and Charlie Rubin’s great aunt). Sitting: Zadie (Jinney’s father)

In 1910, Wilhelm Dank, Charlie’s great grandfather on his father’s side, fled violent Russian pogroms and massacres in the Pale of Settlement

More than 100 British businesses offer jobs to Ukrainians

Over 100 businesses – from AstraZeneca to Bernard Matthews – have now joined an informal business consortium to help hire Ukrainian refugees when they arrive in the UK.

The project – dreamt up by Emma Sinclair MBE – has attracted other huge names including Welcome Break, Nestle and River Island.

Already Marks & Spencer, Asos and Lush have said they want to take part in the drive to help Ukrainian refugees.

Under the Government’s new sponsorship scheme, those fleeing from the war there will be given the right to work when their applications are accepted.

Ms Sinclair, the chief executive of Enterprise Alumni, has led the charge which has attracted significant support from British firms.

She told MailOnline this morning: ‘We have got over a hundred companies now saying they can help.

‘There are millions of jobs available in the UK and it will be benefit to the economy helping them.

‘It’s continually growing, it’s a reflection of the goodwill of everybody, people and businesses have felt a sense of powerlessness about what is happening in Ukraine and want to do something to help.’

At the time this was a vast area of the Russian Empire, covering large parts of Eastern Europe and including most of Ukraine, where marginalised Jews were forced to live.

After seeking refuge in the UK in his early twenties, the British government greeted Wilhelm with open arms, and he settled in Manchester.

He spoke no English when he first arrived, but attended night school to integrate himself into British society. Within ten years he became an established coat salesman and met Mr Rubin’s great grandma Jinney Zelkovich.

Now Mr Rubin and his girlfriend Constance Campbell, 25, want to offer the same opportunity to Ukrainian refugees displaced by the Russian invasion of their country.

The couple have just bought their first property in the capital, and have a spare room in the loft which they are keen to offer any Ukrainians seeking refuge in the UK.

Mr Rubin is the joint CEO of ethical cleaning brand Purdy & Figg and also plans to donate around 3000 bottles of award winning hand sanitiser to refugees arriving in Poland.

Mr Rubin, from Shepherd’s Bush, west London, said: ‘If it wasn’t for the British government who allowed my great grandfather the opportunity to build a life in the UK, I wouldn’t be here today.

‘Over a 100 years later I’m repaying a debt to them by taking in a family myself. I want to do something on behalf of Britain which was done for my great grandfather, and offer as much help as I can to families fleeing the conflict.

‘It’s our first home, and we have a room in the loft perfect for a family to stay in. There’s no fixed time limit we have in mind, we just wants to help as soon we can.’

A couple from Devon, Yvonne Jackman, 59, and husband Gilad, 62, said they are ready to offer a room in their two-bedroom bungalow that overlooks Dartmoor to a Ukrainian refugee.

The couple are both fourth generation Jews whose ancestors were forced to live in the Pale of Settlement in the then Russian empire, reported the Daily Mirror.

Yvonne told the newspaper: ‘It pains us deeply to witness the horror, the fear, the dislocation and the angst that Ukrainians are currently suffering.’

North Norfolk Conservative MP Duncan Baker is among thousands opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees as part of the government scheme

Yvonne, who takes her husband to hospital four times a week for haemodialysis, said: ‘Managing and balancing all of this and caring for my husband 24/7 is very tough on me but in my heart I just really wanted to show love and kindness to those in dire need.’ 

North Norfolk Conservative MP Duncan Baker is among thousands opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees as part of the government scheme. 

He told North Norfolk News: ‘It’s an absolutely staggering number. Huge numbers of people from north Norfolk have been in touch with me saying they are interested in the programme.

‘My wife and I have signed up to it as well. We feel it’s the right thing to do. We will probably sponsor a mother with one child,’ he added.

Meanwhile in Portugal, a British couple are hosting a Ukrainian family fleeing the war in their home near Porto. 

Jane Warren and her family are hosting the Rubtsov family at their farm in Sande, near Lamego, after they fled Ukraine.  

Michael Gove yesterday confirmed ‘unlimited numbers’ will be allowed to live here for three years as he appealed to people to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees.

Jane Warren and her family are hosting the Rubtsov family at their farm in Sande, near Lamego, after they fled Ukraine

Andreii Rubstov and his family fled Ukraine and have since been hosted by a British family living in Portugal 

The Rubtsov family, from Ukraine, have been welcomed by the English couple on their Portuguese farm after they fled the war

Labour’s Lisa Nandy said the new plan was a ‘DIY asylum scheme’ and there was criticism that sponsors would have to know the name of the refugee they wished to house before they arrived.

21 cancer-stricken Ukrainian children begin life-saving NHS therapy

Twenty-one Ukrainian children with cancer have begun NHS treatment after being rescued from the war-torn region over the weekend.

The young refugees are receiving specialist care at seven hospitals across England following a successful evacuation led by a team of NHS medics.

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said it marked a ‘lifeline for children in the most vulnerable circumstances imaginable’.

The children were originally taken across the border to Poland last week, before a flight chartered by Polish authorities brought them safely to Birmingham Airport on Sunday.

A team of NHS doctors and nurses flew to Medyka, on the Ukrainian border, to provide the seriously ill youngsters and their families medical support.

The doctor who led the team yesterday told of how the children hugged and high-fived them as they flew to safety.

Ms Pritchard added: ‘It is hard to overstate how much today will mean for the parents, brothers and sisters of these children, as they start the next phase of a hugely traumatic journey to a healthier and safer future.’

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said the children were now in the ‘safest of hands’ with NHS staff.

The Housing Secretary announced the launch of the Homes for Ukraine scheme that will pay families £350-a-month to take in those fleeing Russian brutality for at least six months.

The website to register for the scheme went down immediately after it was launched with some people unable to complete the online form for up to an hour.

Mr Gove told the Commons anyone who had lived in the UK for at least six months would be able to take in refugees, with those arriving eligible to stay for up to three years.

Previously only Ukrainians with family members already settled in the UK could come. But under the new scheme, sponsors can provide a route for Ukrainians without family ties to come to the UK.

The government in recent days has face criticism for its handling of the escalating refugee crisis sweeping across Europe.

Labour’s Lisa Nandy said the new plan was a ‘DIY asylum scheme’ and there was criticism that sponsors would have to know the name of the refugee they wished to house before they arrived.

Mr Gove told MPs: ‘Because we want the scheme to be up and running as soon as possible, Homes for Ukraine will initially facilitate sponsorship between people with known connections.

‘We will rapidly expand the scheme in a phased way with charities, churches and community groups to ensure many more prospective sponsors can be matched with Ukrainians who need help, and we are of course working closely with the devolved administrations to make sure that their kind offers of help are also mobilised.’

He added: ‘The British people have already opened their hearts in so many ways, I’m hopeful that many will also be ready to open their homes and to help those fleeing persecution find peace, healing and the prospect of a brighter future.’

Almost three million people have fled Ukraine since Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian invasion and civilians continue to find themselves caught up in the fighting.

Ms Nandy raised concerns over matching Ukrainian families to sponsors and claimed the Government was suggesting people should advertise on Instagram via a ‘DIY asylum scheme’.

She told the Commons: ‘On his tour of the TV studios, he suggested several times that people who are willing to sponsor a Ukrainian family need to come to the Government with the name of that family who will then rubber stamp it.

‘He can’t seriously be asking Ukrainian families who are fleeing Vladimir Putin, who have left their homes with nothing, to get on to Instagram and advertise themselves in the hope a British family might notice them. Is this genuinely the extent of this scheme?’

Critics also attacked a ‘bureaucratic hurdle’ that means that families wanting to get involved with Homes for Ukraine have to know who they are taking in by name before they arrive.

Hosts will also have to undergo criminal records checks first, with Health Secretary Sajid Javid saying a ‘basic level of security checks’ would apply. The Home Office has issued 4,000 visas under the Ukraine Family Scheme.

Mr Shapps lives in Hertfordshire (pictured in July 2020). They have three children, a son Hadley and twins Tabytha and Noa

The Home Office has issued 4,000 visas so far under the Ukraine Family Scheme. According to data published on its website, 17,100 applications have been submitted and 10,600 appointments have been made at visa processing centres.

According to data published on its website, 17,100 applications have been submitted and 10,600 appointments have been made at visa processing centres.

The Homes for Ukraine programme will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people escaping the war to safety – even if they have no ties to the UK.

Anyone with a room or home available can offer it to a Ukrainian individual or a family, though those offering will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks.

The public will be able to nominate a Ukrainian family to stay with them for at least six months. Sponsored Ukrainians will be granted three years’ leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access services.

The exact details are not known, but Mr Gove has said steps will be taken to ensure people who might be ‘intent on exploitation’ are prevented from ‘abusing’ the new scheme.

Britons offering accommodation to Ukrainian refugees will receive a ‘thank you’ payment of £350 per month. Local authority areas will be entitled to more than £10,000 per Ukrainian refugee using the fresh route to the UK.

• Have YOU got plans to house a Ukrainian family? Email [email protected]

How YOU can help refugees fleeing Putin’s bloody war: From finding someone to shelter, to the government support you can expect… vital Q&A on Britain’s Homes for Ukraine scheme

British householders have been urged to throw open their doors to Ukrainian refugees as the civilian death toll continues to rise in the conflict.

The UK Government has set out details of a sponsorship scheme allowing individuals and organisations to offer a home to refugees fleeing the fighting.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove announced the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme as the Government scrambled to make it easier for people to come to the UK.

Almost three million people have fled since Vladimir Putin’s Russian invasion and civilians have continued to find themselves caught up in the fighting this week.

There have been 1,663 civilian casualties since the invasion, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said, citing United Nations figures – although the true statistic may be far higher. So far, 88,000 people in Britain have signed up to take in a Ukrainian.

Here, MailOnline answers some of the key questions regarding the scheme:  

Harry Dunn’s parents’ spokesman Radd Seiger vows to ‘take in as many people as we can’ amid the Ukraine refugee crisis

The spokesman for the parents of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn has said his family will ‘take in as many people as we can’ after signing up to help people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Radd Seiger, whose grandmother was born in the country’s capital, Kyiv, said he will be contacting refugee charities to open up his home in south Northamptonshire to a family. He said: ‘I’ve been trying to think of ways over the last few weeks of how I can personally help.

‘I’ve thought about travelling to Poland or Ukraine to help but it seems the best way I can help is to take in a Ukrainian family to offer them some respite from the trauma they have been suffering. We’ll take in as many people as we possibly can.’

Mr Seiger, a retired lawyer, has spent the last two-and-a-half years representing the family of Mr Dunn, who was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car outside US military base RAF Croughton on October 27 2019.

The driver, American Anne Sacoolas, 44, had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf following the crash and was able to leave the country, sparking an international controversy.

Asked about his personal ties to Ukraine, Mr Seiger said: ‘My grandmother was born in Kyiv and left, as so many millions did in those days, to the United States in search of a better life. ‘I inevitably feel close to these people and I can’t just sit here and watch them suffer.

‘I wouldn’t say it’s the reason I’m doing this, but obviously I feel compelled to help.’ Giving a message to anyone thinking of taking in a Ukrainian family, Mr Seiger added: ‘I appreciate that many people are not in a position to do so, but I would encourage anyone who is in a position to do so to take that leap of faith.

‘There’s going to be an exodus and it will only increase as time goes on. We can’t turn a blind eye to that. People should do the right thing and welcome them in with open arms.’ 

– What is the scheme?

The Homes for Ukraine programme is a sponsorship scheme allowing people and organisations in Britain to offer Ukrainians fleeing the war a home in the UK.

The scheme allows individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people escaping the war to safety – even if they have no ties to the UK.

Anyone with a room or home available can offer it to a Ukrainian individual or a family, though those offering will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove said that initially the scheme will ‘facilitate sponsorship between people with known connections’ so it can be ‘up and running as soon as possible’.

However, he added that it will ‘rapidly’ expand by working with charities, faith and community groups.

Previously only Ukrainians with family members already settled in the UK could come.

– How long can refugees stay with a family or individual?

Members of the public providing accommodation to Ukrainians must do so for at least six months.

Sponsored Ukrainians will be granted three years’ leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access public services.

– What security checks will be carried out?

Mr Gove said the Government wants to ‘minimise bureaucracy and make the process as straightforward as possible, while also doing everything we can to ensure the safety of all involved’.

Sponsors and all adults in their households will need to submit to security checks and possibly also safeguarding checks.

The suitability of the accommodation may also be assessed by their local council.

Ukrainians will be subject to ‘standard’ security checks, according to the website, with biometric checks made after they arrive in the UK to avoid delays.

Mr Gove has said steps will be taken to ensure people who might be ‘intent on exploitation’ are prevented from ‘abusing’ the new scheme.

People queue on March 12 to board a train in Zahony, Hungary, as millions of refugees flee

– How are children going to be protected? 

A spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said the charity did not want to see ‘unnecessary barriers’ built into the process, but ‘it is vital child protection is built into every stage of the Government’s and local authorities’ response to this crisis’.

Paul Anticoni, chief executive of World Jewish Relief, said the protection of those who have had to leave their homes – many of whom are women and children – ‘has to be a priority for any government or agencies that are involved in accommodation’.

– Is there any compensation for hosting – and what can you use it for?

Those offering a place to stay will receive an optional tax-free monthly payment of £350 which will not affect benefit entitlements or council tax status.

The ‘thank you’ payment is limited to one payment per residential address, and can be spent or saved as you wish. Hosts should not charge any rent. 

Mr Gove has also said local authority areas will be entitled to more than £10,000 per Ukrainian refugee using the fresh route to the UK.

‘Additional payments’ will be available to support school-age children who need to be accommodated within the education system, he said.

– Do sponsors provide anything other than accommodation?

Sponsors are not expected to provide meals or cover the costs of food and living expenses for their guests, unless they wish to do so philanthropically.

– Can sponsors help refugees find work and access services? 

The Government will provide information to sponsors so that they can point their guests to organisations who can help them access benefits, register with a GP and with school placements.

All refugees will be allowed to seek and take up employment, and there is nothing stopping sponsors helping them find a job. 

– Who can be a host?

Sponsors can be of any nationality and any immigration status as long as they have permission to be in the UK for at least six months.

Anyone with a spare room, or separate self-contained accommodation that is unoccupied and available for at least six months can volunteer to help.

Ukrainian refugees crowd into support points at Krakow train station in Poland on March 14

– Who can be a guest?

The website says someone is eligible if they are a ‘Ukrainian national or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national, and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022.’

The scheme is open for adults and children within family units.

– How do you apply? 

If you have a named person who you wish to sponsor you should get in contact with them directly and prepare to fill in a visa application with all their details and yours.

The visa application system will go live this Friday.  

– What if you don’t have a name to give? 

People wanting to be sponsors who do not know anyone personally fleeing the Ukraine can register their interest here: homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk.

The Government will work with charities, faith groups and universities to match potential hosts with people from Ukraine – so you can still get involved if you don’t know anyone from the country.

More detailed guidance for sponsors will become available in the coming days, according to the website.

Anyone registering will receive updates on the security checks, information on the status of the arrangement and the role of the local council in providing wider support.

People who fled the Ukraine war rest inside an old train station building in Krakow on March 11 

– Can you host AND employ a refugee?

There is nothing in the Government’s FAQs on the scheme which say you cannot host and employ a refugee, so it would appear that you can – for example if you run a small business.

However, to be sure, MailOnline has contacted the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities for clarity on this. 

– What rights will Ukrainian refugees have?

Refugees will be granted leave to remain in the UK for three years. They will be able to work and access benefits and public services – including healthcare and schooling.

– What rights will you have if there are problems?

A change in circumstances could mean that someone is then unable to continue housing someone for the full six months.

A Government source told the Daily Telegraph that the state would get involved if a refugee has to find other housing earlier than the six month period, and that this could then be taxpayer-funded.

Volunteers sort donations to help Ukrainian refugees in Przemysl, Poland, on March 12

– How many Ukrainians are expected to be helped through the scheme?

The Government is setting no limit, saying the UK will welcome as many Ukrainians as wish to come and for whom there are sponsors.

Members of the public are being urged to come forward and help if they can.

In less than an hour, 1,500 people had already registered for the scheme, Mr Gove told MPs, adding that he hopes the first Ukrainians to receive support under the project will arrive within a week.

This morning, it was revealed that 88,000 people have signed up on the website.

– What has been the response?

Shadow communities secretary Lisa Nandy said Labour was relieved to hear Mr Gove would announce the sponsorship scheme after weeks of delay, adding: ‘A press release is not a plan and we are really deeply concerned about the lack of urgency.’

Ms Nandy insisted the visa application process could be simplified, telling Mr Gove: ‘We could keep essential checks but drop the excessive bureaucracy.’

Mr Gove, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Academy Award-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch are among those who have said they might apply to the scheme, while Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Sajid Javid have indicated they will not.

The Government has faced widespread criticism for its response to the refugee crisis so far, with critics noting that unlike the UK all EU countries have waived visa requirements for Ukrainians in the short term.

The Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon told The Guardian the UK scheme was ‘effectively a managed migration route, which is not suitable to use to respond to a humanitarian crisis’.

‘This conflict doesn’t look like it’s going to end quickly. There needs to be a clear pathway to longer-term accommodations,’ he said.

There have been also concerns about the tight timeframe the Government has provided, with the NSPCC in its statement calling it an ‘ambitious turnaround’.

The charity said it was ‘essential that the Government works closely with local authorities, the fostering community, charities and other key local partners to ensure this sponsorship scheme is ultimately safe; has appropriate levels of support for traumatised Ukrainian children who have fled bloodshed, and on-going assistance available for their sponsors’. 

Here’s how YOU can help: Donate here to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal 

Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis.

Calling upon that human spirit, we are supporting a huge push to raise money for refugees from Ukraine.

For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families – mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly – fleeing from the bombs and guns.

As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of this conflict will require accommodation, schools and medical support.

Donations to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal will be used to help charities and aid organisations providing such essential services.

In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously.

 TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE 

Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate 

To add Gift Aid to a donation – even one already made – complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine

Via bank transfer, please use these details:

Account name: Mail Force Charity

Account number: 48867365

Sort code: 60-00-01

TO MAKE A DONATION VIA TEXT

To donate £10, text HELP to 70115 To donate £20, text AID to 70115 Texts cost either £10 or £20 plus a standard network rate message. 100% of the donation goes to charity. 

TO MAKE A DONATION VIA PHONE

Call 0300 12345 77 and follow the instructions to make your donation. A small fee will be deducted by the payment processing platforms when you pay by debit or credit card. 

TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE

Make your cheque payable to ‘Mail Force’ and post it to: Mail Newspapers Ukraine Appeal, GFM, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY

TO MAKE A DONATION FROM THE US

US readers can donate to the appeal via a bank transfer to Associated Newspapers or by sending checks to dailymail.com HQ at 51 Astor Place (9th floor), New York, NY 10003 

Source: Read Full Article