A Bristol based charity currently working with Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw is urgently seeking new hosts who can open up their home to those fleeing war. So far 'Love Bristol' has been responsible for matching over 500 refugees with UK hosts but in the last month it has been a struggle to find enough.
As the war continues and more people continue to become displaced, they are “badly in need of people who can host them for at least 6 months,” said Love Bristol Assistant, Hannah Lawrence. Under the Home for Ukraine Refugee scheme, UK hosts will receive £350 a month in expenses.
Bristol based sponsors Rebecca and Adam who are currently hosting a Ukrainian family, said the experience has been positive. The couple who have three children themselves are hosting a couple and their two children who have their own living space on a separate floor of the Bristol family's home.
READ MORE: More details emerge of Homes for Ukraine in Bristol as city ready to welcome refugees
Rebecca said: “For us it’s been really positive, we get on really well, the kids get on really well. We noticed that as a family our dynamics are actually easier when we have others living with us. I’m an extravert so I love it, there’s always someone to have a cup of tea and a chat with.
“We’ve had various friends and other people who have come to stay over the years so it’s not something that was totally new to us. Certainly watching the news we felt compelled to be able to do something.”
Rebecca signed up as a host after seeing a friend go out and volunteer in Poland. The couple declined the first two offers because they wanted to make sure the family would be a good match.
They said they were fortunate enough to have the week off work when the family arrived which gave them flexibility to offer help in driving them to appointments and helping with application forms in the first few weeks. Rebecca also said they benefited from having sufficient space.
Rebecca added:“I think it’s important to be realistic about your home and your space and your set up and the time it might take and the pressure it might be. I think most of us have that innate response to want to help, it’s an emergency situation and it’s awful when we hear the news.
“It’s a bit like when we decided to foster, nothing really prepares you for it until you do it. But it does help to think realistically through some of those issues you might face.”
For the first few weeks, after they have moved in, host families are often helping new arrivals to obtain a National Insurance Number and register with a GP. Hosts are not required to cover living expenses and there is additional funding and vouchers available from Bristol City Council which is officially classed as a City of Sanctuary.
Rebecca and Adam have found the language barrier a challenge at times but has enjoyed the cultural exchange. Adam said: “The food has been really interesting. They tend to have a specifically Ukrainian diet mostly, which is actually amazing.
“They’ve made us some amazing meals, they made us Borsch a couple of times. It’s very much a communal thing for them.
“Cooking together and sharing food together, it’s been a real blessing to be able to do that. But we have noticed the difference, the adults tend to get stuck in and enjoy each other's food but the children tend not to try another type of cuisine if they're not used to it.
“The big thing for me was the language barrier because the mum spoke a tiny bit of English and none of the rest of the family spoke any at all. They’ve been with us for about a month now and last week the mum said she had no idea what either of us were saying for the first week.
“We have been heavily reliant on Google translate. The overriding impression we’ve had is that we would have enjoyed being together even if there wasn’t a language barrier, they feel like easy people to have around so I think in that sense it’s been quite a good match.
“What’s worked well in our home is that they’ve essentially got their own floor so there is that separation. If they want to be alone as a family, they’ve got that space to do that."
The family have also found it helpful to connect with the local Refugee Welcome Hub which not only gave them the chance to meet with other host families prior to the arrival of the Ukrainian refugees but is also a source of ongoing support. They have WhatsApp groups where they can offer each other practical support and the hub enables Ukrainian families to connect with each other locally in Bristol.
Rebecca and Adam also recommend potential hosts join the Homes for Ukraine Zoom based training which helps families prepare for hosting. The four-week course covers the political context in Ukraine, the culture and advice from those who have prior experience in hosting refugees from a range of countries.
Love Bristol have created their own online application form for those interested in hosting and you can find out more information about the Home for Ukraine Scheme here. To see videos from more Bristol hosts, learn more about Love Bristol, please see their Facebook page here.
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