Trafford residents are being encouraged to offer their homes up as a safe haven for Ukrainian refugees.
Families fleeing the ongoing war have been arriving in Greater Manchester and Trafford has already been providing a warm welcome to those affected.
Trafford council is now leading a co-ordinated response across all of its agenices and community groups to help welcome and support all new arrivals.
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The authority has published advice on its website to residents wishing to help further.
A Trafford council spokesperson said: “Residents have been left shocked by the horrific scenes in the Ukraine, and may wish to help out refugees left homeless.
“If you wish to become a sponsor for a Ukrainian family, the first step is to register via the Government’s Homes for Ukraine page rather than contact Trafford council. There are also some useful frequently answered questions about the scheme.
“As the situation changes rapidly, we will update this advice once we receive more guidance from the Government.
“We will receive information from the Government website on numbers of potential sponsors and will contact them to carry out initial checks and offer advice and support.”
The council is set to carry out accommodation, safeguarding and DBS checks on all sponsors, and will contact people directly to arrange this.
Those who put themselves forward as sponsors may receive a number of visits from council and other public body representatives to carry out essential safety checks for you and the family you have sponsored and to ensure you and they are able to access appropriate support.
The borough’s community hubs are now supporting new arrivals. As many as 1,000 refugees are expected to arrive and settle in Trafford.
A spokesperson for the borough’s community hubs said: “Across Trafford families are preparing their homes to receive refugees fleeing war in Ukraine. For many their homes and lives have already been destroyed, loved ones are left behind and the future unknown. The government is enabling UK residents with suitable spare accommodation to provide a safe home for anyone from Ukraine that wants one.
“In Trafford we are preparing to receive as many as 1000 refugees fleeing the conflict over the coming days, weeks and months. It’s a massive operation, and we’re aware that many will arrive with children or elderly family and little more than the clothes on their backs. Many of us feel helpless, and yet we now have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of some individuals.”
The hubs are working hard to ensure that every refugee is well supported and have everything they need.
To find out more about how you can help, click here.
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