Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
Business
Jon Robinson

Redrow founder Steve Morgan to help fly 10,000 Ukrainian refugees to the UK for free

Steve Morgan, the Liverpool-born founder of housebuilder Redrow, is part of an initiative to fly 10,000 Ukrainian refugees to the UK free-of-charge.

Through his foundation, the philanthropist has partnered with the airline Wizz Air and three other not-for-profit organisations – Choose Love, The Shapiro Foundation and the Ukraine Sponsorship Pathway UK (USPUK).

Refugees will be able to travel from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia to the UK, in support of the UK Government 'Homes for Ukraine' visa scheme. The joint initiative runs from May 14 to June 15.

READ MORE: Redrow founder Steve Morgan donates £50m to help cure type 1 diabetes

Mr Morgan said: "It’s fantastic that we’re able to play a key role in helping 10,000 Ukrainians left devastated by the war.

"Working with our excellent partners this is a great example of how we can make a difference."

The news comes after Mr Morgan pledged in March to meet the cost of bringing 1,000 Ukrainian refugees to the UK.

Mr Morgan said the "logistical challenges" of the task meant that it has been necessary to redirect their efforts into targeted approaches like the free flight initiative.

He added: "We’ve had a lot of discussions behind the scenes but logistically our initial ideas were proving extremely difficult and the Ukrainian people need help immediately.

"By partnering with Wizz Air, Choose Love, The Shapiro Foundation and USPUK we’re able to offer immediate help on the ground.

"Moving forward we’ll continue to take a much more targeted approach to help the Ukrainian people."

Refugees Minister Lord Harrington said: "Bringing as many Ukrainians as possible to safety remains our number one priority and I am delighted to see this support from Wizz Air for our Homes for Ukraine scheme.

"I have been continually amazed by the huge amount of work happening on the ground and am grateful for both the generosity of the public and the ongoing efforts of foundations like the Shapiro Foundation, Choose Love and the Steve Morgan Foundation in providing Ukrainians with a safe and welcoming journey to the UK.

"This scheme must be a team effort and I encourage other businesses to step forward and partner with the third sector where they can."

Hungarian airline Wizz Air operates a fleet of 149 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.