Homes for Ukraine – Another Update
Below is a further update (dated 25th March) from Philip Atkins on Ukraine. For information on charitable donations, resettlement and asylum in Staffordshire, etc., see previous posts.
“We have all been horrified by the events that have unfolded in Ukraine and as a county, we stand with all those affected.
Staffordshire as a place have a proud history of helping those who have had no choice but to flee war or persecution. Only recently we welcomed almost 200 men, women and child evacuees from Afghanistan. We have supported them to find permanent accommodation in Staffordshire and across the country, and many of the children are attending Staffordshire schools as the families rebuild their lives here in the UK.
The overwhelming offers of support locally for those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine demonstrates once again our tradition of welcome. The county council stands ready to work with partners to support and help Ukrainian evacuees under the government’s Homes for Ukraine Scheme. We are already working with central government to coordinate and ensure that the right help will go to the right people and in the right places.
As we know from recent experience of the arrival of those fleeing Afghanistan, local coordination is needed to ensure that help reaches those who need it most. To achieve this, a Tactical Coordinating Group [TCG] has been established under the auspices of the Staffordshire Resilience Forum. This will organise and support the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent wide response to this situation.
In the meantime please be patient as they start to understand and work through the details of the programme.”