Cllr Lucille Thompson, Leader of Winchester City Council, has responded to the news of developments in Ukraine. You can read the full statement here.

In order to welcome our guests we have created guides in Russian, Ukrainian and English for our hosts and refugees which contains a wide range of information.

However, if you are looking for additional information, support and local offers, take a look at the City of Sanctuary website that hosts supplementary information, which includes some seasonal offers:

• How to find English language courses
• Family days out
• Gym memberships
• Social gatherings
• Wellbeing activities

The Council is a supporter of the Winchester City of Sanctuary and therefore all local offers and additional support over and above those offered directly by the council and Hampshire County Council are referred to on this website. For any enquiries contact us via email on Ukraine@Winchester.gov.uk

Ukrainian guests and their hosts will be able to drop into our support hub to access support and meet in a safe environment. Translation services will be available. Our next date is as follows:

• Tuesday 6 December between 10am to 2pm at the Courtyard, Guildhall Winchester

Our friendly support staff will be available to help with:

• Housing advice: Winchester City Council Housing team
• Accessing job opportunities, information on benefits: Department of Work and Pensions/Job Centre (subject to confirmation)
• General support and advice: Citizens Advice Winchester District (subject to confirmation)

Our teams will be able to advise on what support is available and do their best to answer any questions you might have.

You will find the support hub in Winchester city centre at the Guildhall in the Courtyard Room. Please access via the Visitor Information Centre in the high street, a short walk from King Alfred's statue.

Please email ukraine@winchester.gov.uk if you have any enquiries.

We have created an information guide for our Ukrainian guests. You can find it here:

• English ^{(pdf, 1.5mb)}
• Ukrainian ^{(pdf, 3.4mb)}
• Russian ^{(pdf, 3.4mb)}

On Monday 14 March, the Government launched its Homes for Ukraine scheme. This enables individuals and organisations the opportunity to volunteer accommodation to house Ukrainians forced to escape their homeland.

More information is available here.

Including a helpful FAQ section here and a set of local FAQs for Hampshire here.

Welcome: a guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK

You can also find this guidance in the following languages:

• English
• Ukrainian
• Russian

Immediate benefit support for those fleeing the invasion in Ukraine

Homes for Ukraine: factsheet for Ukrainians

Move to the UK if you’re from Ukraine

Donations:

We are presently advising all those who wish to support those affected to consider the following:

There are many organisations that you can donate to including direct donations to Ukraine, but we’d like to highlight the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukrainian appeal. For those who don’t know about the DEC, it's an umbrella organisation for 15 national charities. The UK Government has committed to match public donations to this appeal pound- for-pound starting with £20 million.

You can support SWVG and other local organisations like TwoSaints, the Rural Refugee Network, Southampton Standuptoracism, Clear Southampton and Southampton or Portsmouth City of Sanctuary.

Voices of Children – a Ukrainian charity helps children recover from the impact of war. 

Sunflower of Peace – a US based non-profit providing medical aid in Ukraine

United Help Ukraine – provides medical supplies and humanitarian aid. 

British-Ukrainian Aid – they provide assistance to vulnerable and disadvantaged people. 

UNHCR – has launched an emergency appeal for Ukrainian refugees.

UNICEF Ukraine – is providing an emergency response to children affected by the conflict.

Additional charities you can donate to can be found here.

The URSG group is mainly based in central Hampshire, made up of individuals, local charities, public services, businesses and churches that want to offer hosting, support and sponsorship to anyone from Ukraine that has been affected by this crisis.

We will be updating this section with the information as we have it – If you are organising a collection please be mindful of the challenges surrounding transportation to (and distribution in) the area.

• First aid supplies: paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin, face masks, hand gels and dressings
• Food items: Ovaltine, hot chocolate, protein bars, porridge, oats and any non-perishable food products, baby milk and baby food (including that for allergic and lactose intolerant babies), cat and dog food
• Clothing items: hats, scarves, gloves or thermals for adults, children and babies
• Men's and ladies’ underwear (all sizes, must be brand new)
• Other essential items: nappies, wet wipes, baby toiletries, sanitary towels, toiletries, blankets, foam mats and sleeping bags, torches, batteries and thermos flasks

Hampshire County Council are pulling together a welcome pack for Ukrainians settling locally with details relating to lots of different types of support, including school admissions info. In the interim, you can find some brief information regarding schools admissions here 

If you would like to help in person, the following organisations are calling for volunteers:

• The Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG)
• Southampton Action or email information@southamptonaction.org
• The Rural Refugee Network
• Winchester City of Sanctuary 

The Ukrainian Institute of London has more suggestions on where to donate, how to demonstrate support. You can also find information from local Ukrainian news outlets and journalists.

On 1 April, Reset Communities and Refugees, a charity leading UK community sponsorship since 2018, announced it is launching a matching and training service for sponsors and refugees under the UK government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, with support from DLUHC.

It will bring together sponsors and refugees and assess their eligibility and suitability for the scheme. It will also provide training and advice to the sponsors and community groups.

Reset will also provide a training service, drawing on the expertise of Refugees at Home, for sponsors, councils, and community groups.

DLUHC has provided an initial grant of £300,000 to help design the matching process. Reset is also working closely with the Welsh and Scottish governments, as well as councils across England and Northern Ireland, to help them in matching sponsors and refugees.

Read the announcement here. 

Hampshire Safeguarding Adults Board (hampshiresab.org.uk

How the National Health Service (NHS) works

• Advice in English
• Advice in Ukrainian
• Advice in Russian

Get up to date with your vaccinations

• Advice in English
• Advice in Ukrainian
• Advice in Russian

Winchester City of Sanctuary First Aid partnership info available here.

Hosting guidance resources available here.

Matching services for hosts available here.

Resources for supporting Ukrainian refugees available here.

Access to healthcare for refugees locally available here.

Systemic support for people displaced by war and oppression here. ^{(pdf, 177kb)}

Guidance for prospective hosts here. ^{(pdf, 281kb)}

Find most up-to-date local English language classes here.

Meeting spaces for refugees here. (Please note this Meeting Space is not provided by Winchester City Council and therefore not subject to our safeguarding guidance).

 

 

 

Winchester City Council is devoted to helping its residents achieve a healthy body and mind by providing a variety of leisure facilities for all ages to enjoy. Working in partnership with Everyone Active, which manages our leisure centres, the council aims to help more people experience these benefits by supporting them to be more active, more often.

For more information about Everyone Active and the Leisure Centres, see below:

Winchester Sport & Leisure Park

Meadowside Leisure Centre

Everyone Active is donating free memberships to Ukrainian families and individuals to help support physical and mental wellbeing and to support them to feel part of our community. To see what is being offered, look here: Ukrainian Refugee Free Membership - Everyone Active

Download here ^{(pdf, 58kb)}

You can get 12 weeks’ free bus travel from your local bus service by completing this form.

Your free travel bus pass will cover the routes offered by the main bus company operating in your area. Further information will be provided with your pass.

All children under five years of age and adults who are 65 and over are eligible for free bus travel in the UK, so they do not need to be included in your application for a 12-week free bus travel pass.

More details on getting a free bus travel pass if you are 65 or over

We’re collecting information on behalf of the county council and you can help speed up the process here. Simply send an email to ukraine@winchester.gov.uk and include the household details as follows:

• Names of all household occupants – including Ukrainian guests and UK residents
• Dates of birth for all household occupants
• Telephone contact numbers for all household occupants
• An email address to contact your household

Your data will be safeguarded in line with GDPR regulations.

No – the two processes are entirely separate and delays are not caused by the progress of either process. The visa process us undertaken by the Home Office – this means your local council is unable to speed up the process.

No, there are a huge number of visits to already underway and more are being scheduled daily. You will be called as soon as the team are able to arrange to carry out the inspection of your home.

The DBS process is initiated locally with the home visit from HCC but it then becomes a nationally administered process once the county council officers have initiated it.

The Ukrainian family will be issued with a £200 pre-loaded payment card at the home visit by the Family Support Service ( HCC). The Ukrainian family has to be present at the visit. HCC will then top the card up to equate to £200 per head, this is done remotely and can a few days after the initial £200 is loaded onto the card.

Contact childrens.services@hants.gov.uk for more information.

If you are unable to remain with your host and would like advice on alternative housing options, please contact our housing options service: https://www.winchester.gov.uk/housing/homelessness

You can find a set of local FAQs for Hampshire here.