Families and children fleeing Ukraine are starting to arrive in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland as councils, NHS, Police, East Midlands Airport and other organisations team up to provide vital support and a safe place to live.
Based on the data provided by the Government, the area is currently planning to welcome around 500 refugees who, over the next few months, are due to live with people who have offered space in their houses through the Government’s Home for Ukraine scheme.
This week, a new welcome point has opened at East Midlands Airport – one of over 30 nationwide – and local councils have started carrying out housing, welfare and safeguarding checks.
Around 20 partners are working together under the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) to make sure refugees have access to vital services and support including accommodation, safeguarding, healthcare, education, translation and employment.
People leaving Ukraine have been uprooted from their home and experienced terrible trauma. Our commitment to supporting families and children is resolute and I’m pleased that partners have come together so quickly to offer the wealth of support the refugees arriving need.
“People leaving Ukraine have been uprooted from their home and experienced terrible trauma”, said Deborah Taylor, deputy leader of Leicestershire County Council.
“Our commitment to supporting families and children is resolute and I’m pleased that partners have come together so quickly to offer the wealth of support the refugees arriving need”.
“Leicester has a long history of welcoming those fleeing persecution, war and conflict”, added Leicester’s city mayor, Peter Soulsby.
“We have council officers working hard to ensure that Ukrainian refugees will get the support they need, on arrival and beyond, and we’re proud to offer this support.”
Councillor Samantha Harvey, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care, said that more and more Ukrainian families will be arriving in the region over the coming weeks and months having been forced from their homes and witnessed “unimaginable suffering”.
“The community networks and partnerships we have across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will be key to providing them with the right help, as well as showing that we are all truly united in our support for Ukraine and its people. We already have an encouraging number of sponsors who’ve come forward in Rutland and stand ready to welcome our Ukrainian guests,” she added.
The welcome point desk situated at East Midlands Airport, provides initial advice, information and humanitarian support to arrivals from Ukraine and their sponsors.
In Leicestershire, required checks are being carried out by the local authorities with the county council leading on welfare and safeguarding checks and district councils running housing checks for community sponsors.
More information is available at: https://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council/support-for-refugees-and-people-in-crisis/
