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Ukraine support - FAQs

The best way to support Ukraine and its citizens is through cash donations to one of the below charities. This will enable humanitarian agencies to get assistance to affected people far more quickly. It also enables them to use it for the things which are needed in that moment, and to purchase them from local suppliers/providers which helps to maintain local economies and livelihoods.

However, if you do wish to send goods etc. you should research the efforts underway and check that they are linked with registered charities or have an agreed plan for where the goods will go. There are many other charities collecting donations, both financial and supplies such as food and clothing. The Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator have urged the public to ‘give safely’ to registered charities helping and supporting those affected.

Places to donate include:

The government Homes for Ukraine scheme is that either the UK sponsor or the Ukrainian guest once they have found a sponsor can apply to the government website.

The following hosting networks arrange accommodation in people's homes and are working to house Ukrainians:

We would strongly recommend that the people wanting to sponsor someone therefore get in touch with one of these charities in the first instance.  We are aware people are using informal methods via social media to match with people; whilst this can be successful, we would urge people to ensure that they consider going through the charities above or other local Ukrainian networks so that support can be offered to all involved.

There is not a national matching process at this stage of the scheme (although it may be something that is developed).  Ukrainians and UK citizens are finding ways to match with each other and then applying via the government portal.  Either the Ukrainian guest OR the sponsor can register via the portal when they have a match. 

We are exploring locally whether the county council can work with the Reset charity to support matching, but this will take time to understand if it is possible and establish processes if needed.

Please see the FAQ 3 for more advice on this.

Once matched, the county and district councils will work under the umbrella of the Strategic Housing Partnership which covers the seven local authorities, clinical commissioning group and Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Between them they will provide:

  1. A property check for the sponsor.
  2. A Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) on all adults living in the household.
  3. A welcome visit to the guest
  4. A £200 upfront payment to the guest themselves

In addition to checks prior to visas being issued, all households receiving guests from Ukraine will receive checks by the local council on the property and household. All households will be visited to ensure the accommodation is fit for purpose and suitable to receive guests.

The county council started receiving lists of hosts from the 28 March and have been working closely with our district council colleagues and other partners to set up the processes to carry out these checks.

We are starting to make contact with sponsors this week – if you have volunteered as a sponsor and have matched with a refugee from Ukraine, you should expect a call from either your district council or our “Welcome to Gloucestershire” team.

The Welcome to Gloucestershire team will be checking some details about you and your guest, to enable us to start the process of DBS checks and will be making an appointment for someone to visit you and your guests once they arrive.  During first visits the Welcome Team will be able to share some more information, including on how your guests can register for medical care and school places.

Districts council colleagues will be calling to make plans to carry out the property checks which are needed to make sure your property is suitable for the scheme and to talk through how we might be able to help if there are any problems.

All accommodation will be different and while there is no set expectation, your accommodation needs to be free from serious health and safety hazards. You should make sure your home is safe for your guests and that it is in a suitable condition.

You should also consider how many people you can accommodate so they have sufficient space. Two people should not be in one room unless they are: adult cohabiting partners; a parent and child; two siblings of the same gender if aged over 10; two siblings regardless of gender if aged under 10. Individuals who didn’t previously know each other should not be given the same room.

Further to this we ask that accommodation:

  • be kept clean and in a reasonable state;
  • have adequate kitchen and bathroom space;
  • have access to drinking water;
  • have a working smoke detector on each floor of the property and other fire safety precautions suitable for the building e.g., fire doors or escape routes as appropriate (further information on making a home safe from fire can be found Find out how to make your home safe);
  • have a working carbon monoxide detector in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (e.g., a coal fire, wood burning stove);
  • have sufficient heating to keep the property at a comfortable temperature;
  • have safe gas appliances, fittings and flues and have undertaken a Gas Safety check within the last year (see more information);
  • have safe and working electrics, which a qualified electrician can help with if you are unsure;
  • be almost entirely free of damp or mould;
  • have doors and windows at entry level that lock properly;
  • be easy and safe to move around in, without excessively steep staircases that may cause harm.

There are a number of donation depots.

❗ Dates and times may change due to it being a volunteer led arrangement ❗:

  • 10am – 6pm Thursday 31 Mar
  • 11am – 4pm Saturday 2 Apr

Address

Unit 3,
Chancel Close,
Eastern Avenue,
Gloucester,
GL4 3SN

List of necessities and products (if an item is marked with a warning sign (⚠️), please only bring newly bought items:

  •  ⚠️ Bedding mats
  • Personal hygiene products
  • Toilet Paper
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrushes
  • Wet wipes
  • Nappies
  • Sanitary napkins
  • Paper towels
  • Antiseptic
  • Medical spirit
  • Disposable and wearable masks
  • Hands sanitisers
  • ⚠️ Baby bottles
  • Soothers
  • Artificial feed / powder milk
  • ⚠️Underwear children / women / men)
  • ⚠️ Dressings / bandages
  • Antiseptic
  • Plasters, medical tape
  • Celox (or granules for bloodstopping)
  • Gauze pads
  • Tourniquets to stop bleeding (support bandages)
  • Paracetamol / ibuprofen
  • ⚠️ Microfiber towels
  • ⚠️ Batteries of various sizes, flashlights
  • ⚠️Walkie-talkies
  • ⚠️Power banks for a mobile phone
  • ⚠️SAT phone
  • ⚠️Drones Mavic DJI
  • ⚠️Android devices
  • All kinds of instant food, for example instant soups etc.
  • Breakfast cereals
  • Energy bars
  • Dried fruits
  • Nuts
  • Canned meat and fish
  • Pasta
  • Instant oats
  • Coffee and tea
  • Sugar
  • ⚠️Formula milk for children
  • ⚠️Water bottles
  • Food for children

 

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