Two years ago, Veronika Riepina was a typical 23-year-old. She was renting an apartment in Kyiv, working hard to make her way in the film industry, and making plans to apply for funding to shoot her own documentary project. She was thrilled to work on Do You Love Me?, a coming-of-age film directed by Tonia Noyabrova. She couldn’t have imagined they would wrap up just days before the conflict escalated, nor that she’d be living in the UK when the film debuted at the Berlin film festival. “I feel a sense of joy that we managed to finish shooting and that despite all of the difficulties with post-production, the film still came out,” says Riepina. “It seems like a lifetime ago.”
The decision to leave Ukraine wasn’t an easy one. She had been visiting her parents in Zaporizhzhia in the south-east of the country for a short holiday. “I was only planning to stay for a couple of days. I had a small backpack, my laptop and two T-shirts with me,” she says. But after five days of explosions, her father decided she and her mother had to leave. They drove for a week to get to the border with Poland. From there, Riepina and her mother took the train to Berlin where they applied at the UK visa office to stay with a relative who lived in Blackpool. They arrived in the UK in March 2022. “I know from speaking to people who came after us, that we were relatively lucky,” says Riepina. “Although it was dangerous leaving Ukraine, we didn’t have to stay in any refugee camps and we managed to get here relatively cheaply and quickly.”
Riepina and her mum are just two of the 11 million people displaced since the escalation of the armed conflict. Almost 180,000 people from Ukraine have made their way to the UK via routes such as the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (also known as Homes for Ukraine) and the Ukraine Family Scheme. Many needed support when they arrived. The British Red Cross has helped tens of thousands of refugees by providing them with sim cards, answering questions via a dedicated support line, facilitating emergency financial assistance or reuniting them with family members.
On the ground in Ukraine, teams from the Hungarian and Polish Red Cross provide emergency assistance to civilians in the conflict zone
Even 18 months after the majority of Ukrainian refugees arrived, research cited by the British Red Cross found more than 4,000 Ukrainian households in England have been at risk of or experienced homelessness as of January 2023, though it estimates that number may be considerably higher now. The rising cost of living is putting huge pressure on Ukrainians and the hosts or family members they are staying with. The differences between the two Ukrainian visa schemes are causing real financial hardship.
Riepina, who had only recently started learning English for work, found there was a lot of confusion among the newly arrived refugees. “In those early days, everything felt like a struggle to get even a small bit of information,” she says. “My English wasn’t fluent but I wanted to be useful so I offered to help other Ukrainians speak to the council or the police.”
Because she and her mother had travelled to the UK on the family scheme – as opposed to the sponsorship scheme, where hosts received £350 a month – they weren’t eligible for financial support, and both found jobs as cleaners to make ends meet.
Eventually, Riepina’s mother made the difficult decision to go back to Ukraine. “Although she felt safe in the UK, emotionally she was struggling,” says Riepina. “She knew how dangerous it was but she thought the best way to support the family was to go back home and help my father.”
Riepina continued working as a cleaner but began to search for a job that was more in line with her previous experience and that would be better paid. After months of looking, she came across an advertisement for a refugee support worker with the British Red Cross in Leeds. “I liked the sound of the role as it was an opportunity to help my fellow Ukrainians. I could see how many people still needed support.”
As well as translating and helping with paperwork, Riepina offers new arrivals a warm welcome
A year after starting with the charity, Riepina says she’s very proud to be able to make a difference. “I come across very difficult stories every day. Ukrainians usually come to the British Red Cross when they’re struggling and don’t know what to do. I try to be helpful and cheerful and listen to what they have been through. I share their grief and at the same time I try to solve their practical problems. Anything I can do to make them a little happier.”
Some of the refugees might have issues with their sponsors, where the relationship has broken down. Others have been the victim of a scam, or need help to connect with solicitors or local councils. Riepina remembers one woman who had arrived in the UK with what she thought was a job offer and accommodation. Instead, she was left stranded with nowhere to go. “We received the call just before 5pm. The local authority housing team said they couldn’t offer her anything. We don’t usually provide housing but we found her a hotel for the night. It was impossible to do anything else. And the next day we started calling everybody to find her support. It was a horrible situation but she’s thankfully now settled with a family.”
Riepina also volunteers in her free time, and has formed a local Ukrainian community club for women who have male relatives serving in the armed forces back at home. This provides them with a support network, she says. Last month, drawing on the skills from her previous life, she organised a charity film screening and art auction at the ActOne Cinema in west London, setting out to present a more positive outlook for her country.
“Today Ukraine is not about poverty and a constant request for help from others. It’s about courage, a smile no matter what, and confidence in the future,” says Riepina. “I used to always make plans. Work plans, social plans, but now I can only really look a couple of months ahead. I am incredibly grateful for all of the support I have received in the UK – but I know my future lies in Ukraine.”
Here for humanity
The British Red Cross is on the ground to support communities and provide vital relief. Together with your help, we are the world’s emergency responders. Please donate to the British Red Cross today
The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949), Scotland (SC037738), Isle of Man (0752) and Jersey (430).
