A mum and her two young children have just days to try and find a new home in the North East after escaping war-torn Ukraine.
Maryna Rahulina, 40, travelled from Kyiv to the UK with her children Margarita, nine, and Makar, six, in June this year. She moved in with a sponsor - a couple in Horden, County Durham - while her husband Ruslam, 41, remained in their home country.
The mum-of-two said she made the decision to leave Ukraine for the sake of her children as they had been left terrified by Russia's invasion. She said they had to hide in shelters every day and night and her son was scared to go to sleep in case they had to go back inside the shelter.
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As her sponsor agreement only lasts six months, Maryna will be required to leave the property on December 1. She is currently looking for her own home in the area so her children can stay at the same school.
Maryna, who taught English to children in Ukraine, said she is also looking for a teaching job, after going through a DBS check. She said: "The war in Ukraine was scary. We saw planes, they were fighting in the air. They were fighting behind our heads.
"We saw how they bombed the city next to Kyiv. We moved to another village in another area far from Kyiv. We were there, but nothing stopped."
Maryna said that every time they heard a "special sound" they would need to hide in a shelter to ensure they were safe. She said that they were in the shelter everyday and at every night.
She said: "In Kyiv, and the community around Kyiv, they use a special radio station. They can switch it on and we can hear it. They switch it on when they know rockets or something are next to the area or can be in the area.
"My boy said to me 'Maybe I shouldn't take off my clothes' (for bed) because we have to hide in the shelter.' It was horrible. If he sees a plane in the sky here he asks 'Should we hide?'
"My boy is scared of the noise of cars or motorbikes because they have the same sound as planes. It is so scary for him.
"They both remember how the planes were so close to us. They are always with their belongings. The most important things are always with them."
Maryna said a friend told her about a sponsorship programme which would allow her to leave Ukraine with her children and come to the UK where they would be safe. She has described the decision to move to another country and leave her husband, who is working in their hometown, as "difficult".
She said: "I was afraid about (using) sponsors as they are people you don't know. You've never seen them before and it is another country.
"In the UK, my boy understands English so that decision was very good. He has got friends and it's very important. He's not crying at school and that is what I am looking for. Children have to be in a safe place.
"The school is lovely and this week my boy got star of the week. I don't want to change their school as that is stressful for them.
"He's from Ukraine but he understands what he's doing here. After his first day at school he told me 'Thank you, I understand everything.'
"They are here in the UK but they are waiting until they can go home. It is different for them here and they love their home and their family.
"They miss their dad and I miss my husband. Everyday we are phoning and speaking on WhatsApp so we can see each other."
Maryna is searching for a property with the help of Durham County Council as well as ones which are rented privately. She said she has found it difficult as some companies are asking for six months' worth of rent or a guarantor.
Maryna said: "I'm trying to get a job here as a teacher. I taught children English in Ukraine. I want to be a teaching assistant or a nursery teacher.
"I'm trying to do everything I can to make my children happy. I'm looking for interesting places in this area. We're trying to see beautiful places - castles and beaches, parks and gardens.
"The nature is beautiful and there's flowers. There is always green grass, that has been a surprise for us. Our grass in Ukraine is like the trees, it changes with the four seasons but here it is always green.
"In Ukraine, I had a car and here I haven't got a car which is difficult with children."
Maryna said they are required to leave the property where they are currently living in Horden, near Peterlee, on Thursday. She said: "Right now I have to find a house as quick as possible."
Laura Williams, housing manager with Durham County Council, said: "We are providing support to both Maryna and her children and the sponsor, and this includes trying to find new accommodation for the family.
"We have helped Maryna to register the family on the Durham Key Options accommodation listing website, and are supporting her to bid on available properties and search for housing in the private sector. Should something suitable not be found by the time the current arrangement ends, we will ensure temporary accommodation is provided."
Under the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, sponsors are required to provide accommodation for a period of at least six months.
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