Families - from Ukraine to Lancashire

The picture of Kharkiv was a birthday present to Bob from two sisters in the food tent in Krakow. They are now settled in Barrowford, improving their English and have part-time jobs. The picture now has a frame and is up on the wall next to a David Hockney print  - not quite Lancashire but not far!

On the 100th day of the war in Ukraine, Kharkiv is a reminder of the resilience and bravery of Ukrainians, and also of the death and destruction that continues.

But, for all that, today was a celebration of Ukrainian families who made the difficult and brave decision to move to a foreign country, and of the sponsor families who have not only opened their homes, but their hearts, to them.

Thanks to Anthea, who has started a 'hub' for sponsors and families in East Lancashire, we got to meet the families we have helped to settle and sponsors we only know from video calls - in Trawden community library - families from Trawden, Colne, Barrowford, Blacko and Rawtenstall. We heard of a few difficulties, but mostly of huge effort, good will and love. It was a humbling experience for us.

We asked guest and sponsor families if there was anything we could do differently in the matching process. The only real issue that came up for both was the importance of identifying any medical conditions and ensuring a sufficient supply of medication before the journey to England. Other than that it was the importance of communication between families before their journey, which is always something we've tried to ensure and is one of the main purposes of our work.

Without exception, Ukrainian families told us how wonderful and supportive their sponsor families are, which validates our continued purpose.

Sponsor families said that this is a life-changing experience for them, and also that the families they are hosting will always be a part of their family. I have a friend in Canada who is hosting a family from Kharkiv; she wrote that this experience "is what I have been living my life in preparation for. All my education, all my previous experience, all the books I have ever read have lead me here. And I am finally using all my skills for the first time." 

 In the background there is also good support from the local community, including schools, Trawden community pub and shop, employers and our local hairdresser, who has offered free haircuts to Ukrainian families in Trawden and Colne. Simple gestures. But they make the difference.