A kind Leeds family have given a brand new house to a Ukrainian family fleeing the Russia-Ukraine war - close to their own home.
Kate Moran, who lives in Rawdon, Leeds, was scrolling on Facebook in April when she came across a post about a Ukrainian family in need of a home. The mum-of-two sprung to action and has been able to give the family a new home, find school places for their children and help them feel settled.
Kate who has a six-year-old son named Franklin, and three-year-old daughter Corinne, with husband Ross, said the Moran family felt they "couldn't just sit back and do nothing" with the spare room they have. "We have quite a big property in Leeds you see, and a cottage really close to our house with a double bed and its very own kitchen", she explained.
Read more: Over 300 Ukrainian refugees offered homes in Leeds still waiting to get into UK
"As soon as we heard what was going on we wanted to get in touch - we just thought we had a brand new building and we can’t just not home anyone in it." After finding the family through social media the Leeds mum immediately got in touch with the individual who shared the post and things "escalated from there".
Kate, who is a stay-at-home mum and Leeds Baby Bank volunteer, and her husband, a business owner, said the process took "quite a long time", and it was five weeks before the family were able to come to the UK. The Ukrainian family, including children aged five, 11, and 13, are from a small village in Ukraine.
She said: "They don't really like to talk to me much about Ukraine and what is happening. But luckily, I think they heard that their village was a target so they managed to get out before then," Kate added. Lesia, Vadym, and their sons Bohdhan, Vadym, and Pavlo, left Ukraine and got a tram to Poland in a bid to keep their family protected.
Explaining their journey to the UK, Kate explained: "After all the paperwork and everything was done things were pretty simple. They had money to book their own plane tickets direct to Leeds Bradford Airport, and they weren't sure at first if the dad could come at first so they were happy he could come too."
The family arrived at LBA on Saturday (May 7) and have been happy since, Kate said. "The great thing is that in the house they have their own space and can do their own thing.
"We do hang out together as well. Their kids and my kids are always playing outside together and mingling." Kate said a Leeds group on Facebook donated toys, clothes, and even electronics such as mobile phones to the family.
Speaking about her gratitude towards the Moran family, mum-of-three Lesia said: "We are sincerely grateful for the support and assistance of the British people and personally the Moran family."
What's more, on Monday (May 9) Kate took Bohdhan, Vadym, and Pavlo, to see where they would be going to school in Rawdon too. But, the mum-of-two added that while she had set up a home and school for the family, the parents were out of a job.
She said: "I wasn’t sure how they could get money over here we just thought how can they earn money when they can’t earn it. You can’t just arrive and get a job." Kate decided to set up a Go Fund Me page for the family.
She added: "They arrived with very little and although the local community has been incredibly generous so far with donations of clothes and toys, they will need all the help they can get.
"Of course, we will be providing them with all the basics that they need but I thought it would be nice for them to have some money of their own to be able to buy themselves a coffee, or their three sons an ice cream at the park - simple privileges we completely take for granted, but they have been unjustly stripped of."
To donate to the Ukrainian family click here.
Read Next:
