A scheme that went beyond expectations

When The Government launched "Homes for Ukraine" it did so in a surge of public opinion, an emotion to help. I don't know, but I suspect that expectations were that perhaps 10,000 or 20,000 hosts would sign up, and many of them would drop out when they thought it through further, or when they had problems contacting anyone from Ukraine, of got bogged down in systems and paperwork. And from the viewpoint of people in Ukraine fleeing a war zone, why try and jump the high hurdles to reach the UK when those hurdles did not exist on the way to Poland or Germany or the Czech Republic?

Well - the scheme has grown beyond all of those expectations or suspicions. It's a source of huge pride in my countrymen and women that they have opened their homes ad hearts, and rather than a few thousand guests in this country, we now have over a hundred thousand. We ourselves have four guests staying with us - a major change here, and a delight. In our home town of Melksham (population 25,000) there would be around 40 guests here pro-rata, but actual numbers are around 100 - and that's ten times what I suspect The Government expected. And I don't think we're at final numbers here yet - wouldn't be surprised to peak at around 150.

I read that over 100,000 have actually arrived, and indeed there have been 200,000 applications.

A major change for everyone concerned

Now - just imagine that YOU "ran for your life" from your home and ended up in a town you didn't know, 3000km away, staying with people you didn't know and with whom you didn't share a language or even a character set. With a passport and a right to work, but with just a suitcase of clothes, with no bank account, no job, no doctor, no school for the children and no money. A disconnect from friends and family back a home, a new culture, a new climate; a mad combination of so much to worry about, and yet so little you can do initially. Sharing bathrooms, laundry, kitchen, sitting rooms. And no answer to "what next?"

It's a major change for us who have lived in Melksham for decades. And it's a life change for our guests. We were matched (in March in our case) almost at random - an introduction at three degrees of separation, and a short international conference video call huddled around phone screens, all words translated for us by one of the intermediaries. We have - as it turn out - fallen on our feet, as have many - raw humanity at its finest - but there have been challenges for everyone to overcome. Online I read of so many problems (and indeed I hear about some in Wiltshire) but those tend to receive publicity and attention out of proportion to their numbers; if things are working, they get no attention, but if there are issues it's news.

Where are we now?

So where are we now? Phase 1 - get people the heck out of harm's way and to a safe refuge for the medium term - largely done. Phase 2 - get those people established in guest homes and schools and jobs and with a new life here - we're getting there. Learning enough English is a huge part of phase 2. Phase 3 - "what next?".

When hosts signed up, they were asked how long they could host for, ranging from "up to six months" to "indefinite". There is a further cut-off at one year; hosts who have jumped through all the local council hoops receive a payment of £350 per family hosted as a "thank you" monthly for up to a year. The payment does not really cover all the extra costs and is considered such, but its ceasing after 12 month will necessitate a rethink for many.

Looking forward

When guests signed up and arrived, their primary concern was for a safe haven in which they could go ahead with their lives. There may have been some thought as to what the next stage would be, but there was little knowledge. And for many it remains that way - but for some we are already three months into their six month initial window.

For a very few guests, the war in Ukraine has retrenched back to the east of the country, they are feeling homesick, and they are returning to take their chances.

For many others, they are looking forward to returning to Ukraine as and when they can, but aren't seeing that happening any time soon - and are seeing it as returning to a very, very different land to one they knew this time last year.

And for some, there is a feeling that they may never return to live in Ukraine. Indeed there are some (arguably not refugees but economic migrants) who left with the intent of setting up a whole new life in a different country.

Few of our guests were without friends and family in Ukraine, so almost all of them have their familiar group of contacts torn apart, and wonder when and where they will see each other again. And with the passage of time - which is more likely to be measures in years than months - families will grow up and new relationships flourish amongst individuals catapulted here from different parts of Ukraine, and indeed between guests and people who were around here prior to their arrival ... for some families who have moved here together, next moves may be apart as their lives move on.

Coming months

So - "what next?" for most guests. Long term plans are not fixed.

* Many have jobs, but many of the jobs may not be suitable for more that a short period. People who have left roles as computer security experts, teachers, Human Resource specialists, architects, lawyers, civil servants and vets are ill-suited in anything but the short term to take on repetitive tasks where they will get bored to put it mildly, but yet their qualifications may not transfer easily, and their prospective employers may be loathe to invest in them as they may be moving on soon

* The idea is that in 6 months of hosting, many guests will find their feet, be earning money, and move on to their own rented homes. The problem is that there is little to rent in this area, and landlords require a deposit of many months, British employer references and proof of long term prospects in the area. When a property comes up for let, many apply for it ... and the chance of a landlord choosing to rent to guest without meeting their requirements is slim indeed.

In reality, some hosts and guests have already parted company even within the first six months, and it may happen with others. Wiltshire Council are obliged to step in when this happens, but they are stretched and it is scarcely comfortable to anyone involved.

And on the other side of the coin, many hosts are flexible about the six months or year. We'll see what happens, as we will when the "three years in the UK" expires under the "Home for Ukraine" scheme. I would be very surprised, should it still be unsafe or inappropriate for people to return, for us to kick them out.

We have in Melksham the same number of guests as some northern cities of 10 times the size, and those cities have little or no housing shortage. There is scope for guests to move "up North" or to the North East - accommodation is available, sensibly priced, but at the cost of a further upheaval of friends, family and job to another very different place (and IMHO or course, to one that's nothing like as nice as Melksham!)

I'm not sure if it was clever and intentional, or an unplanned side effect of the scheme, that by its very complexity it reached those Ukrainians who have passports, drive and are well educated. We have a very great number of guests who can and will be a great asset to this country, and indeed are already showing that.

What has this got to do with the Town Council?

Formally - nothing. Informally - everything. A huge "thank you" is due to Town Council Officers and Councillors and Volunteers for helping those of us involved with this with enabling support (and there has been a lot of hard work in doing that enabling) - you and the community have maded - and continue to make - a massive difference in your support of both our guests and our sponsors