• The Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme was launched on the 14th March 2022.
• The scheme enables people living in the UK to offer accommodation in their own homes or property they own to individuals and families displaced from the Ukraine due to the war with Russia.
• To date 491 people have already arrived through the scheme. Initial indications are that approximately 37% (182) of guests are children and young people aged under 18 years old.
• At least another 187 people are expected through the scheme. further
• The Council’s school admissions team has placed 135 Ukrainian children in schools across Herefordshire.
• Children and young people are also arriving through the Family Scheme. The Council does not have any way of tracking these arrivals, so numbers are uncertain.
• The vast majority of Ukrainian guests arriving through the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme do not have access to their own transport. Due to the nature of the sponsorship scheme, families from the Ukraine are living in urban and rural areas spread across the whole county. The aim of offering free bus travel is to enable people from the Ukraine to access appointments, training, work and social opportunities without being fully reliant on their sponsors.
• Investment in community transport will reduce reliance on hosts to get guests to formal appointment during working hours and is particularly important for those living in rural areas with little public transport.
• The travel initiatives detailed above will mean that Ukrainian guests can access essential services, work and social activities all of which are significant elements of the resettlement process.