A couple who met in Bristol are converting two huge barns in Slovakia into shelters for Ukrainian refugees. Tristram, from Bristol, and his partner Tamara, from New Zealand, say they can house at least 40 people in the shelters for a minimum of two years.
Before Covid, the pair were in the process of turning the barns in Nemcinany, a village five hours from the Ukrainian border, into a skills school for adults, called the Taylor McCabe Institute. But the pandemic put the project on hold, which Tristram and Tamara say could have been "a blessing in disguise for Ukrainian refugees".
They have set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to convert the 90-foot barns ready for refugees to move in. They estimate they will need £66,000 for refugee transportation, insulation, electrics and more.
Also read: Bristol mayor calls on residents to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees
Tristram said: "We were in the process of converting the barns into a skill-sharing school for adults. Power, water and other services were connected, but then Covid hit and works were put on hold. While everyone was deeply disappointed, it turns out this could be a blessing in disguise for Ukrainian refugees.
"The half-finished buildings provide an opportunity to offer housing for Ukrainian refugees. Specifically, we can house at least 40 people and have committed to do so for a minimum of two years.
"The immediate need is for us to travel to Slovakia to provide hands-on help with the fit out of the two dwellings. Much of the conversion work to date was done by us personally, we are very hands-on.
"The first job is to install insulation, as the temperature in Slovakia at this time of year is around -8°C. We already have a team of builders ready on the ground to help. But we need to get there to make change happen."
Tristram and Tamara need £66,00 for refugee transportation, insulation, timber framing, kitchen equipment, toilets and bathrooms, electrics, food and essential life costs, as well as labour costs.
They said: "Once the initial fundraising goal has been reached, we'll raise more funds to provide refugees with all they need to expand shelter and assist families in becoming more self-sufficient.
"As well as a team of tradespeople in Slovakia ready to help with the construction work, the local mechanic in the village is keen to help too. He has a minibus ready to transport the refugees from the border to our property in Nemcinany.
"As soon as we get there, we’ll be using this minibus to taxi people in our first round of 12 people from the Ukrainian border to immediate warm and safe housing.
"Ukrainian refugees urgently need safe temporary housing. Our team are travelling to Slovakia by the middle of March 2022 at the latest, to ensure the basic needs of our first tranche of refugees.
"The sooner we can reach our initial fundraising goal, the sooner we can provide a habitable space. If our funding goal isn't reached, we will still be sheltering people - but potentially doing our best without being able to have as warm or dry a space as all people deserve."
Anyone who wishes to support the project can donate to Tristram and Tamara's fundraiser here.
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