We are incredibly proud of our colleague, Amanda Hudghton who, together with her husband Laurence, has stepped up to host a Ukrainian family, who were forced to leave their home as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Earlier this year, the UK government announced its ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme, where UK residents can apply to sponsor and host Ukrainian refugees, and thereby enabling them to leave the devastation of the conflict behind and live with them in the UK.
Amanda Hudghton, Business Account Manager at Greencore and her husband Laurence, are two of the people who signed up to be sponsors.
Natasha, 43 and her children Maria, 13 and Mark, 10 moved into Amanda and Laurence’s home at the end of April from Kyiv, with Oliver, their Maltese dog set to join them shortly. Pavlo, Natasha’s husband, remains in Ukraine, based in Dnipro, which has experienced major attacks.
Amanda said: “Laurence & I got involved because I am a leader with my local Scout Group, and they were coordinating practical support across the local community. We felt we could go one step further and offer to sponsor a family. Our children are older, we have spare rooms and we recognised we were able to do something that few people were able to do. Laurence’s mum was an evacuee in the Second World War, and she had an amazing life thanks to the kindness and compassion of the family who supported her, so we understand that whilst a small thing to do in the context of the wider Ukraine conflict, our hosting can make a difference.”
“We have been overwhelmed with the support and kindness of people we have received. UK for Ukraine (www.uk4ukr.com) have been fantastic – they are transporting medical supplies and food to those in need at the border and bringing refugees to their support families in the UK, which includes Natasha, Maria and Mark to us in Cheshire.”
“We are just pleased to be able to provide a place of comfort for Natasha, Maria and Mark. The first few days were emotional but it’s important we help them to adjust to a new life until it’s safe for them to return home.”
