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Welcome to your dedicated newsletter for Homes for Ukraine Hosts in East Sussex.
We hope you all had a great Easter, or you’re going to have a great Easter Sunday on 5 May - that's because the UK and Ukraine have different Easter traditions. To help guide you through those differences we look at the foods and decorations your Ukrainian guests might be making.
This month we spotlight a jobs fair that offers guests the chance to speak to professionals about employment opportunities in East Sussex.
There’s also important news about the Ukrainian Extension scheme, which could have a big effect on guests living in the county.
This month, we’re proud to bring you hosts Karen and Jeff Costello-McFeat's story. They share their hosting journey with their guest Mariia. We'd love to hear your story, so please email us if you would like to share your story.
While we’re on the subject of hosting, we’re appealing to you, our existing hosts, to help share our East Sussex Host Recruitment Campaign.
Once again, thanks for everything you continue to do as hosts and we’ll see you again next month.
A jobs fair is being held to give people who need help finding work the chance to meet advisers and potential employers.
Specific support for Ukrainian guests seeking work will be available at the jobs fair through the Support into Work project.
The event is being hosted by People Matter. It is open to East Sussex residents on a low income or experiencing housing insecurity.
At this event you can meet:
- employers to explore job opportunities
- the College to talk about courses and training opportunities
- support services for help with employment, housing and health
- organisations supporting Ukrainian guests into work.
The event is being held on 10 May between 10am and 12:30pm at East Sussex College, Hastings. TN34 1BA.
For more information contact People Matter at reception@people-matter.org.uk or call 01323 431289.
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Last month we covered the issue of the visa changes that came into effect during February.
The Family Scheme visa route was ended with immediate effect last month.
The Ukrainian Extension Scheme Visa, which was for Ukrainians already in the UK when the war broke out, is also being closed from 16 May 2024. Applications for this visa is now restricted to people who had a visa to be in the UK for any period between 18 March 2022 until 16 November 2023.
Now, any Ukrainian already in the UK (whatever kind of visa they arrived on) can apply for Ukrainian Permission Extension. It gives an additional 18 months of right to remain in the UK after the initial 3-year visa has expired.
Ukrainians will be able to apply three months prior to the end of their original visa's expiry date.
Ukrainians who wish to apply for a UK visa from abroad can still do so, but they will now only be eligible for an 18-month visa rather than a three-year visa.
Please note that any Ukrainian who holds a three-year visa but who returned to Ukraine permanently cannot apply for a Ukrainian Permission Extension (UPE) if they’re not a resident in the UK. They will, instead, have to use their existing three-year visa to return to the UK to stay here to apply for the UPE.
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We all know the everyday challenges such as work commitments, bringing up children and planning our future.
But for guests, those pressures also include moving to a new country, living with people they don’t know, and worrying about the people they left in the Ukraine.
It's only natural, therefore, that mental health issues can emerge for some guests.
If you’re concerned your guest’s mental health might be affecting their daily life then please email the Homes for Ukraine team at Ukraine@eastsussex.gov.uk to make us aware of the issue.
You can also find information on the range of mental health support offered by East Sussex County Council.
You might be wondering why there’s a story headed ‘Easter’ in a newsletter that’s been sent to you in late April, and which covers half of May.
While we’ve eaten the last of our chocolate Easter eggs and our young people have returned to school - our Ukrainian guests will be celebrating their Easter on Sunday 5 May.
This is because of different calendars - the UK follows the Gregorian calendar whereas Ukraine still uses the Julian calendar. From 2025, Ukraine will adopt the same Gregorian calendar as the UK and the EU.
Easter is considered a major event for Ukrainians, with many following the Orthodox church.
So what kind of things might you see your Ukrainian guests making, consuming and possibly sharing?
Possibly some Paska bread, a delicacy that can vary enormously across regions of Ukraine (just as certain foods are associated with specific geographical regions and communities here in the UK).
For Ukrainians, Easter eggs are generally either decorative ornaments (elaborately coloured Pysanka, which people make themselves) or dyed and spiced hard-boiled eggs called Krashanky.
Hopefully, some of you will get the opportunity to experience some of these different aspects of Easter in the last-ever Ukrainian Easter to follow the belated Julian calendar.
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Our host recruitment campaign has been running across digital and print platforms for the past two months. A lot of thought went into the campaign as we want to attract people who will host for the right reasons.
The Homes for Ukraine team is now planning ‘in person’ recruitment events at venues such as libraries and church services across the county in the coming weeks.
We’d also like to ask you to promote the scheme, using your knowledge of how to set clear expectations at the start of hosting (this month’s host story highlights the benefits of making a list before welcoming a guest).
Still a need for hosts
The need for hosting remains high, especially as the private rental sector can be out of reach for some of our guests, even if they’re working.
We’d really appreciate it if you could also talk about the scheme with your friends, family or connections who might be interested in hosting. If they would like to know more, they can email our team at Ukraine@eastsussex.gov.uk.
Spotlight on hosts and guests
We’ve had a great response to the campaign, which uses a combination of social media, magazine adverts and stories, and posters placed on buses and at various locations across East Sussex.
The campaign centers around existing hosts and guests who kindly shared their stories and insights. You can hear their stories on our YouTube channel.
We’ve started to receive expressions of interest from people who are interested in hosting.
We’d like to thank Eastbourne’s Chamber of Commerce which has allowed one of our team to speak there, and our thanks to the Eastbourne business owners within the Chamber who agreed to take some of our leaflets and posters for the public-facing areas in their businesses.
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There is a great and varied range of activities, including some free to access events, in East Sussex during the coming weeks.
You can find some information about them at the following places:
We hope there is something here to interest you.
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Being a host: our story so far...
Hosts Karen and Jeff Costello-McFeat with guest Mariia Matrunich (left)
Given the chance to offer Ukrainian non-combatants refuge, we felt we could not refuse, writes Jeff and Karen. We signed up to the Homes for Ukraine scheme straight away and said “yes” to the first person who reached out to our Facebook posts - a mother and her young son. Unfortunately, their visa was delayed, and they chose to remain in Ukraine.
That gave us time to speak to experienced hosts and take their advice about the matching-up process. We wrote a four-page list covering the key parts our lifestyle from our work, activities, food, values and typical schedule. We also included lots of photos. Having expectations clear on both sides and upfront was key.
Looking at the many of forum posts from Ukrainians wishing to come to the UK was difficult. Each told a convincing story with a desperate longing for hope. There was much need and so few hosts, it was heartbreaking.
Ukrainians can typically arrive distressed, fearing for those left behind, and grieving for those lost. Their futures are open questions. Hosting is a bigger commitment than simply having a lodger.
Making the connection
We connected with Mariia through a Facebook forum, private message and then a video call. It was clear we were a match. Hosting has proved to be an extremely meaningful and rewarding experience. After a year and half, she is part of the family.
Mariia has come a long way since arriving with her life packed into two heavy suitcases. Initially, there was a long checklist of things to sort out, from getting a GP to a UK bank account. Eventually she’ll move into her own home and is working towards that, however we will always share a strong connection.
We were fortunate her English was advanced. Karen also learned basic Ukrainian via a language learning app. However, there are of course cultural differences and changes to be made. Google translate can be a useful, but imperfect, tool.
We eat meals together and have explored each other’s cuisine. She helps out as any household member would, and we have shared so many experiences. We have all participated in a number of the fundraising and cultural events the local Ukrainian community has organised, which is a great way to connect with others in our situation. Often friends or family simply don’t have a frame of reference for understanding what it involves.
Please do consider hosting if you have space in your home and heart. The situation has also developed so you can meet Ukrainians already living in East Sussex that are in need of hosts. The whole household needs to be 100% onboard and be aware of the challenges. Talking with experienced hosts before matching up can be key. We are all happy to help in this process if we can.
Useful contacts
Homes for Ukraine contact centre. If you need advice, call 01273 337010 (pick Option 1 to speak to someone in English, Option 2 to speak to someone in Ukrainian) or email ukraine@eastsussex.gov.uk.
Welfare checks
It's really important to us that all Ukrainian guests are safe and well. As we continue to carry out welfare visits for all guests who have been living with their hosts for six months or more.
The purpose of the welfare visit is to check guests are safe and well, confirm your guests are still living at your property and to provide advice, guidance and information to you and your guest(s). It also provides you the opportunity to express any concerns or difficulties you might be having. We would appreciate the cooperation of guests and hosts when welfare visits are arranged with you.
If you found this a useful guide to hosting our Ukrainian guests, then why not share it with a friend so they can sign up to our monthly newsletter and stay informed of all the latest Homes for Ukraine news. You can read previous newsletters at our host newsletter archive.
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