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Welcome to your dedicated newsletter for Homes for Ukraine Hosts in East Sussex.
Welcome to September 2024’s Homes for Ukraine newsletter. We hope everyone has had a summer break that's been as exciting or as restful as you needed it to be.
This month we've our now regular reminder about e-visas. We would urge you to ask your guest to carefully read the advice to ensure they apply for theirs correctly. If they require help, we've advice on where to seek guidance.
We also have our usual round up of job opportunities to be found this month across the county.
The British summer is gradually fading into the grey skies and earlier dark nights of Autumn. Now it’s even more important to re-energise yourself. Our regular look at things to do across East Sussex include a list of local bonfire society events that are, of course, due to start at this time of year.
We have information about Mediation Plus, an organisation offering support services to all Homes for Ukraine service users.
This month’s hosting story is a lovely and moving story by a host who wishes to remain anonymous. ‘H’ and her husband hosted three Ukrainian women (called D, N and M). Their story, although anonymised, represents the stories we hear from so many of the hundreds of guests who have been helped by our amazing community of hosts in East Sussex since 2022.
Many thanks, as always, for all that you do for our Ukrainian guests each day. As always, feel free to contact us on Ukraine@eastsussex.gov.uk with any concerns that arise.
Homes for Ukraine guests must apply for an e-visa as soon as possible – and they should NOT wait until they receive a letter from the Home Office.
We’ve heard some people say there’s no need to apply for an e-visa until guests hear from the Home Office - this isn’t true. Ukrainian guests should make their application as soon as possible.
This is because guests’ Biometric Residents’ Permit (B.R.P) cards needs to be replaced by e-visas by 31 December 2024.
This will require guests to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account because the application process is digital.
Details of how to do this can be found on the government website.
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The Home Office has joined with local and regional organisations to help you apply for an eVisa.
One of those organisations is People Matter, which has a head office in Eastbourne. It's being funded by the Home Office to help you to apply for, and understand how to use, your eVisa.
This support will be provided free of charge at various locations across East Sussex. Contact details for People Matters are on its website.
We are aware some guests are finding the e-visa application process challenging.
In-person help to complete the application process is available at the Ukrainian Hubs in Bexhill, Lewes, Hastings or Eastbourne (times and locations listed below).
Brighton Housing Trust (BHT) are working on a step-by-step guide on the e-visa application process in Ukrainian. There will be a guide to setting up access to eVisas launching soon.
Please be aware, the Home Office advice guests to keep their B.R.P once it’s replaced by the e-visa. This is because the B.R.P card can be useful as a physical identity document.
Hub hours and contact details
Eastbourne: Tuesdays 4-6pm
Bexhill: Wednesdays, 11am-2pm
- Beulah Baptist Church, Buckhurst Road, Bexhill, East Sussex, TN40 1QA
- Contact: Bexhillukrhub@gmail.com or call: 07709 116 163
Hastings: Mondays, 11am-1:30pm
- Holy Trinity Hastings Church, Robertson Street, Hastings, TN34 1HT
- jac.williams@hthchurch.org
Lewes: Wednesdays, 10am-12pm
Thankfully, most hosting arrangements and other domestic situations involving Ukrainians in East Sussex are happy and functioning well.
However, inevitably there can be situations where mediation is required, either between a host and guest, between family members or between neighbours (if a former guest is living in their own rental accommodation).
Mediation Plus is an organisation that offers free mediation services. Learn more about the help they can provide Homes for Ukraine Communication Support.
Further details in both English and Ukrainian can be found here:
Are you looking for something interesting to do this month? We've some great ideas for you:
Easier way to get about
If you find it hard to get around East Sussex because you live in areas with limited or no public transport then why not try Flexibus.
The on-demand ride share service can help connect you with your local area and the wider public transport network so you can visit more of our wonderful county.
Flexibus operates Monday to Saturday 7am-7pm, excluding Bank Holidays.
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Jobs round-up
The latest jobs for guests interested in a new career?
Is your guest looking for a new job? We've the latest selection of roles and learning and training opportunities to help your guest get the job they want.
Her Biz’ women’s start-up programme – Let’s Do Business – 4 x Zoom sessions – starts 4 October (Referrals close 27 September)
Being a host: my story so far...
I’m waiting for the train from Luton Airport. Three Ukrainian women are coming to live with us because of the conflict with Russia. I have had so much happiness and good fortune in my life, and I believe in paying things forward.
If the situation was reversed, C (my husband) and I would hope for the kindness of strangers for our own son and daughter. We would hope that a retired couple on the other side of Europe living in a house with rooms to spare would help them.
We bought a bigger fridge, tried to make things look nice and welcoming, put locks on the inside of the bedroom doors to make them feel more secure, had house keys cut for them all.
Leaving everything behind
What is it like to leave everything behind and travel to a foreign country, with only your suitcases, hoping you will be going to nice people and that things will be okay?
Hundreds of people get off the Luton train at Brighton, come through the barrier, but the Ukrainians are not among them.
Eventually I go onto the platform, and there they are at the far end; three exhausted women surrounded by huge amounts of luggage – an older woman, N, her daughter, M, and M’s friend, D, both in their twenties. D’s suitcase is phenomenally heavy. She explains there is a coffee machine in it. I find this immensely endearing. Also, crazy. But the coffee machine turns out to be very small, although symbolically significant, as D will end up working as a barista for a while.
Sometime after they had moved in, D asks if I’d like to see her flat in Odessa. Her video pans round, finishing with packed suitcases in the middle of the room. Soon she will walk out of the door and travel to live with complete strangers. I am hit by the poignancy and bravery of it all. Those suitcases waiting to go.
The two younger women speak good English. They were lawyers and civil servants in Odessa and Mariupol, but after settling in, they do cleaning jobs, pub jobs, barista jobs, hotel receptionist jobs, charity admin jobs, on-line courses. We are all busy, just coming and going, doing our own thing. We celebrate high days and holidays together, if we are around. We go on a household trip to the Harry Potter exhibition. A good time is had by all. Easy routines become established.
Time passes quickly
Two years pass. How is that possible? D has just moved with her boyfriend to Hove. It feels at once sad for us but lovely for her. We miss her!
It turns out these wonderful people who came into our lives have repaid us for any kindness we showed them, with their own charm, kindness and generosity. We hope one day to sit on the beach with them all, in Odessa, with chips and wine, having a laugh.
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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