General Support

See our Cost of Living Support page for useful resources and information about Warm Welcome spaces.

A carer is anyone, including children and adults who look after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support.

For many people, caring is a rewarding and positive experience, but for others, caring without the right help and support can feel overwhelming. For some people, caring can trigger feelings of loneliness and frustration and many often find their physical and emotional health, work or finances are affected.

If you need help, support or advice, you can find it on our Carers page.

Your sponsor is not responsible for personal care nor supervision of any member of your household including children whilst residing in their home.

If you need to contact Adult services, the customer service centre is open Monday to Friday 8am-6pm, on 01522 782155.

Lincolnshire Community Foundation: Trustees and Staff work with local and national partners to facilitate environmental and societal change. We do this by convening and delivering a range of resources (financial and developmental) to those small, but vital charities, groups and organisations that make the greatest impact, but generally receive the least support. Our work is precise, efficient and impactful.

https://lincolnshirecf.co.uk/

Voluntary Engagement Team: VET is a collective of VCSE organisations working together with a specific focus on developing and delivering health, care, and wellbeing services in Lincolnshire working with partner agencies.

http://lvet.co.uk/

Voluntary Centre Services: As well as operating accredited Volunteer Centres in Lincoln, Gainsborough and Sleaford that deal with over 2,000 volunteer enquiries each year, we can offer help to anyone wishing to set up a group, funding advice and access to news and networks in the voluntary and community sector. We have an active team of invaluable volunteers working alongside staff to deliver services across our districts.

https://voluntarycentreservices.org.uk/

Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service: We work with local groups & charities to provide practical, community based solutions to social & economic problems providing a forum for sharing information & knowledge. We work in Boston, East Lindsey, South Holland & South Kesteven, covering many rural, socially vulnerable and economically disadvantaged communities.

http://www.lincolnshirecvs.org.uk/

Asda Foundation: Extended Empowering Local Communities Grant to enable us to better support refugees; designed to support a broad range of activities helping to support these communities and help individuals and families to settle into their new surroundings and enable them to thrive in these communities; groups that have a presence in and direct benefit to the local community can apply for £500 - £1500. Funding can include essential packs for families, home starter packs, basic furniture for a family, clothes bank, evening ESOL classes etc.

Contact: Stephen Bromby

Tel: 01205 316000 ext 222

Mobile: 07772 226903

Email: community_boston@asda.co.uk

Following discussion with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Barnardo’s has set up the Ukrainian Support Helpline to provide a holistic support service. The helpline is available to anyone fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

Barnardo’s free helpline (0800 148 8586) is staffed by English, Ukrainian and Russian speakers, to offer support to children and families arriving in the UK from Ukraine.

The helpline is open Monday to Friday (10am to 8pm) and Saturday (10am to 3pm). Callers will be able to get help and advice on a range of topics.

A dedicated email address ukrainiansupport@barnardos.org.uk and webpage have also been set up for those assisting with the Ukraine response.

The British Red Cross offers a range of support for Ukrainian guests in Lincolnshire:

Mobile SIM card:

Free Vodafone mobile SIM cards with six months' unlimited UK calls and texts and 20GB per month

Assistance whilst waiting for Universal Credit payment:

This is available for newly arrived guests who have applied for and are waiting to receive Universal Credit. The local Red Cross team is happy to provide financial support of £30 per person per week until Universal Credit comes through. For example, a parent with three children would receive £30 x 4 people = £120 per week from the Red Cross. This would be provided through Cash card (prepaid card) and is posted to the person's address within 5 to 7 working days of the initial contact/request. The maximum amount for a family will be capped at £180 per week (even if the family has more than six people).

Family Reunion Travel Assistance (FRTA):

The British Red Cross has set up a temporary travel assistance programme for people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine who have valid visas to come to the UK but cannot afford the cost of travel or make suitable arrangements due to specific vulnerabilities. The scope of the Ukraine Travel Assistance service is to arrange and fund travel for affected people through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) or a private travel agency. They can fund travel from main UK airports to place of residence for affected family members (e.g. taxis). The scheme will fund travel to the UK only and cannot refund tickets that are bought privately or give cash to buy tickets.

Eligibility Criteria for the FRTA

The service is for people who:

Are able to reach an international airport in Poland, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia or Turkey
Already have UK visas or a right to enter the UK
Have a relative or a sponsor in the UK who is able to provide them with support and accommodation on arrival
Count three or more family members in need of travel (although exceptions will be made for those in need of enhanced support with flying due to old age, a serious medical condition or unaccompanied children)

Please contact the local team by ringing 0116 479 0900 Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm (interpreters can be arranged if required) or email: RSEastMidlandsUkraine@redcross.org.uk

International family tracing service

If you've lost contact with your family due to the recent conflict escalation in Ukraine, or you know your family has left Ukraine and crossed the border, please keep trying to contact them as this may be a temporary loss of contact as they transition to networks in other countries.

If you're unable to contact your family and you think they are still within the territory of Ukraine, the British Red Cross may be able to help you: email findyour_family@redcross.org.uk providing your full name and telephone number and a team member from the International Family Tracing service will contact you as soon as possible.

Let’s Move Lincolnshire - Ukrainian Refugee Activity Support

'Let's Move Lincolnshire' is dedicated to assisting refugees in our county to keep active, more often. The 'Let's Move Lincolnshire' website for Ukrainian guests signposts to physical activity offers and opportunities. The page will update over time, as more providers and opportunities become available so please remember to check back often to view the latest activities.

Visit the 'Let's Move Lincolnshire' website.

Are you interested in finding out about Ukraine, its people and its rich cultural heritage? If so, why not look at this free online course from the Open University? The course also offers learners the chance to engage with like-minded others and provide mutual support and advice.

There are also a range of further free resources to support Ukrainians settling in the UK (now available as a Ukrainian language version).

A team of researchers from the Institute for Research into Superdiversity at the University of Birmingham have created a comprehensive 'Homes for Ukraine' toolkit.

Many useful resources are available, including a list of things that guests need to know about life in the UK, a list of things that hosts need to know about Ukrainian people and a section on how to handle difficult conversations. The toolkit is available in both English and Ukrainian.

Sunflower TV is a dedicated ad-free YouTube channel showing hit British children’s programmes dubbed into Ukrainian, featuring up to 200 hours of Ukrainian and British content. Sunflower TV has been designed to offer entertainment and respite for the children of Ukrainian refugees.

Currently featuring about 50 episodes, Sunflower TV includes a range of dubbed British children’s programmes such as Peppa Pig, Go Jetters, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, Thomas & Friends, Mr Bean: The Animated Series, JoJo and Gran Gran, and Kit and Pup. The channel will also feature shows produced by Ukrainian producers with titles like Brave Bunnies and Eskimo Girl.

Guests wishing to become library members can sign up online or by visiting their local library. Any guests who do not yet have proof of address are still able to join on a ‘limited loans’ membership. With this type of membership, adults and children are able to take out six and three books respectively (this excludes audio books). Guests that join online will automatically be registered with a limited loans membership.

Adult Fiction in Ukraine

Ukrainian language books have been ordered for Lincoln, Louth, Sleaford, Grantham and Boston libraries initially and should be reservable on the catalogue.

Adult Non-Fiction

A Ukrainian phrasebook and dictionary have been ordered for Louth and Lincoln libraries initially.

Junior Fiction

A collection of children’s picture books in Ukrainian should be available in Lincoln, Louth, Sleaford, Grantham and Boston libraries.

Find your nearest library

Visit the GLL website to find your nearest library. Each individual library page also includes opening times and ‘what’s on’ listings detailing regular activities and special events (including those suitable for children).

There are also a number of Community Hub libraries across the county, run by independent community organisations with volunteers providing access to a selection of library materials and services. Find out more here.

Thousands of free eBooks and audiobooks

In order to provide Ukrainians with a range of free reading, listening, learning and entertainment opportunities, multimedia content provider Odilo launched a free app for both Android and iOS. Available across Europe, the app includes 3,000 e-books and audiobooks in a variety of genres, including 1,700 Ukrainian titles and 500 in English, suitable for both children and adults.