Latest news with #HomesforUkraine
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top up payments boost for Ukraine refugee hosts
Additional financial support for people in Devon hosting Ukrainian families, has been announced following a significant drop in government funding. Monthly payments to hosts reduced from £500 to £350 last week due to public finance pressures. To mitigate the impact, North Devon Council has announced it would provide an extra £75 per month for the next 12 months. Council chief executive Ken Miles expressed concern that the funding cut might lead hosts to stop their support, potentially increasing demand on homelessness services. "It's much better for us to pay that £75 and reduce the potential demand on the homelessness service," said Mr Miles. Councillor Helen Walker, who is also a host for Ukrainians herself, praised the council's decision. "That help is appreciated," she said, adding that it was "a very sensible upgrade." More than 2,300 Ukrainians have arrived in Devon under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, with 63 currently residing in North Devon, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). The council plans to use part of the government's refugee resettlement fund to cover the top-up payments. The government said the move to reduce payments was also intended to support the transition to a scheme which allowed Ukrainian refugees to stay for another 18 months once their three-year visa runs out. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Refugees reflect on settling in Devon Ukrainian refugee hosts needed in Torbay Hundreds gather at Ukraine war vigil Local Democracy Reporting Service North Devon Council
BBC News
08-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
North Devon Council boosts support for Ukraine refugee hosts
Additional financial support for people in Devon hosting Ukrainian families, has been announced following a significant drop in government funding. Monthly payments to hosts reduced from £500 to £350 last week due to public finance pressures. To mitigate the impact, North Devon Council has announced it would provide an extra £75 per month for the next 12 chief executive Ken Miles expressed concern that the funding cut might lead hosts to stop their support, potentially increasing demand on homelessness services. "It's much better for us to pay that £75 and reduce the potential demand on the homelessness service," said Mr Helen Walker, who is also a host for Ukrainians herself, praised the council's decision. "That help is appreciated," she said, adding that it was "a very sensible upgrade."More than 2,300 Ukrainians have arrived in Devon under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, with 63 currently residing in North Devon, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).The council plans to use part of the government's refugee resettlement fund to cover the top-up government said the move to reduce payments was also intended to support the transition to a scheme which allowed Ukrainian refugees to stay for another 18 months once their three-year visa runs out.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Row over 'embarrassing' delay to Ukraine link-up
A row has broken out over a delay in implementing a partnership between York and the Ukrainian city of Lviv. Councillors in York approved the process of adopting Lviv as a "sister city" in April 2022, two months after Russia invaded Ukraine. Three years on, however, the process has not yet been completed, with opposition councillors branding the situation an "embarrassing failure" at a meeting this week. The council's Labour leader, Councillor Claire Douglas, said she would discuss the relationship between the two cities with a Ukrainian official, and denied the delay was due to a lack of funding. Liberal Democrat councillor Darryl Smalley, who tabled the original motion in 2022, said at the time he hoped it would serve as a small act of solidarity amid dark times for the country. He told this week's meeting: "We understood at the time that an official twinning process would be lengthy and expensive which is why we proposed a much quicker Memorandum of Understanding. "We urge Labour to rethink this and take forward the sisterhood process." York's Conservative group leader Chris Steward said: "This is another embarrassing failure of the council to enact a motion councillors have passed. "I struggle to see the benefit to Ukraine in its current situation of one of its cities having this relationship with York, what Ukraine needs in this awful time is for the UK to stand 100% behind it." Council leader Douglas claimed opposition groups had jumped to "inaccurate" conclusions about the delay to the process. She said: "The council and our residents have continued to support the Ukrainian community both in York and in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. "Next week, I am looking forward to meeting with a senior representative from the Embassy of Ukraine to discuss the relationship between Lviv and York and see how our cities can work alongside each other in support." Since 2022, 416 Ukrainians have arrived and settled in York through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Friends buy ambulance to drive to Ukraine Yorkshire-made armoured ambulances now in Ukraine City of York Council
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Ukrainian refugees can apply to stay longer in Peterborough
Ukrainians are now able to sign up for a scheme which allows them to remain in Peterborough for a further 18 Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPE) has been made available to those already granted permission to stay in the UK under other schemes, including Homes for Ukraine, the Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension a full meeting in March, Peterborough City Council revealed it had only spent half of its £3m funding for supporting Ukrainians in the city since 2022, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Jones, Labour cabinet member for housing and communities, explained the money was ring-fenced and likely to be unused for the three-year period. She noted the council would not receive any more government funding to support Ukrainian refugees, but the authority could use the remaining unspent ring-fenced funding, understood to be about £ council's Help scheme also offered support for Ukrainians in Peterborough. Applications can only be made by those whose current permission has 28 days or fewer remaining until it council warned that early applications for the scheme may not be accepted and late applications may lead to permissions being UPE extends the offer of temporary sanctuary for Ukrainians and their eligible family members following expiration of their three-year well as allowing the refugees to stay for another 18 months, it provides them with the same entitlements to work, study, rent and receive applying on the government website, as well as providing proof of identity and relevant documents, the Home Office will consider applications and make a decision within eight weeks. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Shrewsbury premiere of Ukrainian refugee's new film
A Ukrainian refugee has made a documentary film about young members of her community in is Lora Arkhypenko's second film, following Women, released last year, which focused on the strength of women affected by the war in new film explores the lives of Ukrainian children who have settled in the UK, in particular those who have made Shropshire their the Mother's Day premiere of Children at Shrewsbury's Old Market Hall, a public screening will be held in May, Shropshire Council said. Ms Arkhypenko, originally from Odesa, was studying for a degree in filmmaking when she and her young daughter were forced to flee their home following the Russian invasion in February was taken in by a family in Chirbury before moving to Arkhypenko went on to complete her studies at Newtown College in Powys and released her first film. 'Celebrate resilience' "My first film Women was about Ukrainian women who fled from Ukraine and the issues that they have lived with since arriving in the UK," said Ms Arkhypenko."Children picks up their story, and more importantly focuses attention on their children who, in some instances, have spent more of their young lives in the UK than Ukraine and adapted to life in Shropshire."Her second film has been supported with funding from Homes for Ukraine, supported by Shropshire Council and Shropshire Supports Jones from Shropshire Support Refugees said: "Shropshire has welcomed hundreds of guests from Ukraine."It's important that we continue to remember the challenges that they face, as well as celebrating their resilience and how they contribute to the county and enrich all of our lives." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
