Ukraine Crisis
Support for Ukraine
Language club - Gosport Discovery Centre
All our welcome to come along to the language club, held every Thursday between 10.30 - 1.00 at the Discovery Centre, in the Town Centre
This is a great opportunity to meet with other guests, sponsors and assist with speaking English
Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided !
Ukraine Hub - Gosport Voluntary Action
Every Tuesday between 12.15 - 1.30 all guests are welcome to drop-in, it's an opportunity to ask questions and meet with other guests. The hub is held at the GVA offices, behind Morrisons, next door to the Citizens Advice office.
Tea and coffee provided !
Help and Organisations
Community groups
Immigration Advice
Travel to the UK
Transport in UK
Health and wellbeing
Mental Health and wellbeing
Employment
Education
Government resources
General
Library
Language help
How to report War Crimes
Beware of fraud and scams
Ways you can help
The Homes for Ukraine scheme and website was launched on 14 March 2022.
The scheme allows individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety - including those with no family ties to the UK.
Phase One of the scheme will allow sponsors in the UK to nominate a named Ukrainian or a named Ukrainian family to stay with them in their home, or in a separate property.
- Someone is eligible for the scheme if they are a Ukrainian national or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national, and were a resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022.
- They will be able to live and work in the UK for up to three years and also access benefits, healthcare, employment and other support.
- While rent is not to be charged by sponsors, each household housing a refugee will be offered a £350 a month thank you payment, tax-free, which will not affect benefit entitlement.
- Sponsors and all adults in the sponsoring households will be subject to security checks and may be subject to safeguarding checks too.
- Accommodation offered can be a spare room, or unoccupied residential self-contained unit.
- People providing accommodation are asked to provide accommodation for as long as they are able, but the government has a minimum expectation of six months.
Individuals who wish to sponsor a named person should get in contact with them directly and prepare to fill in a visa application with all the required details. The visa application will go live on 18 March.
Find questions and answers on how the Homes for Ukraine scheme will work.
Help and Organisations
- British Red Cross
- Government guidance: Welcome: a guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK (lots of practical help- bank account etc)
- Ukrainian Institute London - lots of advice - in both languages
- Hampshire County Council website
- Gosport Voluntary Action
- Citizens Advice
Community groups
Fareham and Gosport Ukrainian Community Group
We meet at:
Christchurch on Stoke Road, Gosport: 1:30-3:30pm
13th November, 27th November, 11th December
Gateway church on West Street, Fareham: 12:30-2:30pm
20th November, 4th December
You can also follow us on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2264578013680725/
We're having a Christmas break so our last meeting in 2022 will be on 11th December. We will be holding a Christmas party with traditional Ukrainian food in December, time and dates TBC.
Gosport Discovery Centre
Thursday's 10.30-13.00 Conversation club. These sessions are open to everyone to join and a chance to talk with English people to help understand how things work in Gosport/UK. People come along with concerns that they don't understand like a school rule. Feel confident in a new society.
Saturday's 12.00-14.00 Language builder. Improving English with interactive language games and speaking activities. Open to anyone whose English is not their first language
Immigration Advice
- Ukraine Advice Project - free immigration advice for Ukrainians
- Here for Good - Free legal advice and application advice
- Settled's Ukraine Service - Free immigration advice provided in Ukrainian, Russian and English.
Travel to the UK
- The European Union has created a list of travel arrangements for countries in Europe
- Eurostar are offering free travel to London to Ukrainians
- National Rail are offering free onward transport following arrival in the UK
Transport in UK
Driving
Homes for Ukraine - Free Bus Pass Application Form.docx
Health and wellbeing
- Baby Basics are providing welcome kits for parents and babies
- Banardos have set up a helpline, in multiple languages for Ukrainians
- The conflict and ongoing violence in Ukraine have caused families to forcibly leave their homes, in search of safety, with many arriving in the UK.
- In response to this, following discussion with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Barnardo's has set up the Ukrainian Support Helpline to provide a holistic support service. The helpline is available to anyone fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.
- Barnardo's free helpline (0800 148 8586) is staffed by English, Ukrainian and Russian speakers, to offer support to children and families arriving in the UK from Ukraine.
- The helpline is open Monday - Friday (10.00am - 8.00pm) and Saturday (10.00am - 3.00pm). Callers will be able to get help and advice on a range of topics.
- A dedicated email address ukrainiansupport@barnardos.org.uk and webpage have also been set up for those assisting with the Ukraine response.
- More information: www.barnardos.org.uk/what-we-do/helping-families/ukrainian-helpline
- Doctors of the World have a series of resources about the UK healthcare system
- Sane Ukraine - trauma support for Ukrainians
- Thrive LDN - guides for wellbeing
Mental Health and wellbeing
- Concerns about the situation in Ukraine could affect your mental health or those close to you. If you, or anyone you know, would like help with this, you can find expert help and advice by visiting the NHS Every Mind Matters webpage.
Employment
- Micro Rainbow are able to offer integration and employment advice for LGBTQI Ukrainians
- Refugee Employment Network advertise vacancies and training for people with a refugee background
- United for Ukraine are offering assistance for Ukrainians arriving in the North of England to access employment support.
Education
Discovery Centre, Gosport - ESOL courses available
Sanctuary scholarship with Portsmouth University University of Portsmouth (PDF) [544KB]
The Open University
New free online course for people housing, caring for or working with Ukrainians in the UK
The OU has also translated into Ukrainian its package of free online resources for Ukrainian refugee www.open.edu/openlearn/supporting-ukrainians-ukrainian
Government resources
- Homes for Ukraine sponsor guidance
- Homes for Ukraine FAQ
- Visa application for people being sponsored
- Welcome to the UK booklet for new arrivals
- Gosport welcome booklet Welcome to Gosport (PDF) [772KB]
General
- City of Sanctuary have a great list of useful links.
- Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain have branches around the UK
Library
Gosport Discovery Centre - latest information
How to use the library services in Ukrainian Membership information (PDF) [259KB] internet use (PDF) [251KB] Borrow from Library in Ukrainian (PDF) [904KB]
Language help
How to report War Crimes
Reporting war crimes (PDF) [327KB] Reporting war crimes (PDF) [326KB] reporting war crimes (PDF) [151KB] reporting war crimes (PDF) [197KB] reporting war crimes (PDF) [198KB]
Beware of fraud and scams
There are fraudsters who will try and take advantage of a crisis situation in the form of scams.
As always when donating money, please remain alert to possible scams and fraud. There is advice and support available on the Action Fraud website.
Ways you can help
There are a number of organisations you can support in the humanitarian aid effort for Ukraine. These include but are not limited to:
- Hampshire County Council
- The British Red Cross, which has launched an appeal to raise funds for food, medical supplies, shelter and water
- Disasters Emergency Committee
- The Ukrainian Red Cross
- Doctors Without Borders, whose base in Ukraine provides treatments for a range of regional diseases and medical problems
- The Association of Ukrainians in the UK have a centralised fund raiser and collection for items, including a warehouse in Ukraine
You can also find ways to help on the UK Government's dedicated webpage
Many local charities and community organisations are responding to the crisis in Ukraine and are asking for help through local social media groups and forums. Most groups offering support during the crisis are helping in very specific ways so it is important for you to find the right organisations for the support you can offer.