Maryna and Vlad are new to Manchester. They arrived just eight weeks ago, joining the thousands that come to make the city their home each year.
But their move wasn’t a choice - it was a necessity. Maryna, 36, and Vlad, 15, are Ukrainian - and were forced to leave their home due to the devastating consequences of war.
Freedom of Information request data obtained by the Manchester Evening News shows that 229 Ukrainians have so far been placed with hosts in Manchester under the Homes for Ukraine scheme - the government-run project that allows Ukrainians who have been accepted by a host family to come and live in the UK. Maryna, 36, and Vlad, 15, are two of those.
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The pair made the heartbreaking decision to leave their home city of Boryspil, in the Kyiv region of Ukraine, after Russia invaded in February of this year, fleeing initially to neighbouring Poland. They spent two months sleeping on church floors, hoping that the fighting would ease and they would be able to return home.
But the war rages on, and they have been forced to confront the painful reality that - at least temporarily - home would have to become somewhere new. They were able to find a host, and nearly two months ago arrived in Chorlton, where they now live with host Richard Addison.
“We are very happy in this city,” Maryna said with a shy smile, sitting in Richard’s living room. “We feel comfortable and safe.”
As we spoke, it was clear that the pair had made a strong start in Manchester. Maryna told me of how much she enjoyed the museums and the Trafford Centre - but Vlad, who is a big Harry Potter fan, said his favourite place was the John Rylands library on Deansgate.
Both mother and son speak a little English - Vlad more than Maryna - but every so often the conversation paused as one switched to Ukrainian, speaking rapidly into a translation app on their phone that then read out their answer in robotic tone.
Richard said he decided to sign up as a host after watching footage of the devastating invasion on the news, and feeling a pull to help. “When it first kicked off on the news I got a gut reaction, and I think it’s possibly because it really reminded me of what happened in World War II,” he said.
“I’ve always thought, if this happened again, I’d like to actually do something”. So he did. He opened his house in Chorlton to two strangers, and is also involved with running the South Manchester Ukrainian host and guest support Facebook group, which has over 1,000 members.
There are plenty of cultural differences to adjust to, both in and out of the house - especially as Richard told me that neither Maryna nor Vlad had ever left Ukraine before being forced to flee. Now, they are experiencing the mammoth task of building a new home over 1,000 miles away.
“In England, people smile,” Maryna explained. “People in Ukraine are more serious. You are very kind.”
“They can’t believe how many people drink and how many pubs there are!” Richard laughed. And Vlad has been picking up new skills - halfway through the interview, he stopped and offered me a homemade cupcake, baked at his summer school that morning.
“In Ukraine, Vlad could not even cook an egg,” Maryna said, aided by the translation app. “But in the UK, he is baking cupcakes!”
Maryna said that she and Vlad have got what they expected from the Homes for Ukraine scheme - they have a home, a kind and accommodating host, and Vlad has a school place ready for September.
But Richard still has doubts about the scheme’s safety. Two months in, he only received his enhanced DBS check days ago - something that is mandatory for all hosts living with a child, and should be completed before guests move in.
“Everything happened so quickly, because it’s a war,” he said. “But it’s getting frustrating because things could be so much better.”
A spokesperson for the Disclosure and Barring Service said that local authorities are responsible for starting the DBS check applications process with Homes for Ukraine sponsor households, and that they process checks “as quickly as possible” once this has been completed.
“We have completed over 33,000 for sponsors since the start of the scheme. On average, we are processing Enhanced DBS checks on sponsors in less than five days, and 92.8 per cent are completed within our 14-day target.”
Maryna said she doesn’t want to think too much about the pair’s future in Manchester - she hopes to be able to return home to Boryspil sooner rather than later. But, for now, she is focusing on learning English, finding a job, and taking it one day at a time.
This family has found safety - but Richard said many others are still looking. Ukrainians are unable to come to the UK without a host willing to sponsor them, but these are in low supply, meaning many are left stranded.
He encouraged anyone thinking about hosting to sign up to the Manchester Homes for Ukraine website , where they can find out more and speak to those already hosting.
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