Ukraine: Plea for more hosts to come forward to save Ukrainian refugees

The appeal comes one year on from the Russian invasion and although millions have managed to flee and find sanctuary, there are still many trapped.

Maricar Jagger, the refugee co-ordinator at the Diocese of Portsmouth, has recently visited a refugee centre in Warsaw, and saw what people are enduring.

She said: ‘It was such an unforgettable experience. Buses arrive daily with fresh groups of refugees.’

Maricar is in charge of matching refugees to hosts and she has noticed that the decline in people offering to help has massively affected the number of people that she can help.

She added: ‘The last couple of months, the number of hosts is really low and it is really sad because I am having to tell someone that they are going to have to wait.

‘A lot of people are hesitant to host because they don’t have the capacity to spend time with someone who can’t speak English, but there are a lot of services in the city that can help.’

There are currently 162,700 refugees in the UK and more than eight million people have been registered in European countries.

Hilary Graham thrust the doors open to her vacant rental home in Southsea in April of last year where she hosted six refugees.

She said that the experience was easier because she did not live with them, but that it has helped them settle into the community and find some stability after a traumatic experience.

Olena Khrystiuk, who is one of the women staying in Hilary’s property, has been working hard on her English and is a valued member of the community.

Hilary said: ‘Portsmouth has been very supportive - supportive as a community and the council has been very good. They are lovely lovely people and I want to do as much as I possibly can to continue to help them.’

SEE ALSO: Upside Down House Portsmouth: Look at Brighton and Bournemouth attractions as city opening day nears

The diocese is trying to find another 50 host homes by Easter so they can help 100 more refugees.

The Rev Jenny Gaffin has recently welcomed Kateryna Hluhan and her daughter Nelya, as well as Anna Borodulina, and her five-year-old son Leonid into her home.

Jenny said: ‘Because my grandparents were refugees, I was quite motivated to help. My family was welcomed, and we’ve settled here and have thrived. I have been living on my own, so things are very different.’

The women and children are going to be staying with the vicar at her Hayling Island home for six months under the diocesan scheme.

Kateryna said: ‘The windows were rattling with the rockets being fired on the city, and there were cars and sirens screaming. There were times when rockets hit kindergartens and schools, and every time you were worried that it was the school where your child was.’

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP said: ‘I am hugely proud of how our community has supported those who have fled Ukraine. It’s heart-warming how local people have opened their doors and their hearts to refugees. As a host to a Ukrainian family myself, I have been overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity they have been shown.’