31st August 2023

A Big Lincolnshire Welcome

Host & Guest e-newsletter

Welcome to the latest issue of our host and guest e-newsletter. If you can, why not sit down together to read it?

Newsletter changes

Welcome to our new-look Homes for Ukraine Lincolnshire e-newsletter. You’ll notice that this was sent to you from a slightly different email address to usual, so please make sure you add this to your ‘safe senders’ list.

We're aware that not all our hosts and guests receive this e-newsletter. Despite our best efforts we don't always have accurate email addresses for everyone, so if you know any hosts or guests who don't receive their own copy but would like to, please contact us at: homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk

If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, you can unsubscribe at any time using the instructions at the bottom of this email or by contacting homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Ukraine Independence Day

On Thursday 24 August, the people of Ukraine marked their national day, which fell 18 months after the country’s invasion by Russia. The day also commemorated 32 years of independence from the former Soviet Union.

People throughout Lincolnshire and across the UK showed their support for Ukrainians in their communities, with many also sharing photos of sunflowers on social media. In Lincoln, the Ukrainian Cultural Centre (UCCL) commemorated the day with a dedicated ceremony at the International Bomber Command Centre, planting a Guelder Rose, the national shrub of Ukraine, also honouring the memory of all those who have died in the war with a minute's silence.

Since March 2022, more than 1,350 Ukrainians have made Lincolnshire their temporary home under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. This wouldn’t be possible without the incredible generosity and support shown by our hosts who have opened their doors to Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes.

English lessons in Gainsborough

We are currently assessing the provision of Essential English classes in Gainsborough.

If you’re a Ukrainian guest living in the Gainsborough area wanting to learn English, please email Pauline Mould, Education Project Officer at Lincolnshire County Council: pauline.mould@lincolnshire.gov.uk. Please include your name and postcode along with a rough idea of your current level of English.

If there is sufficient interest we will look at the possibility of delivering Essential English classes in Gainsborough.

English lessons starting across Lincolnshire in September

We still have spaces available at some English courses starting across Lincolnshire in September.

These are free 12-week courses and are available to adults aged 19+. The courses offer Essential English for new learners. For those with a basic level of English they offer classes to work towards a qualification in English Literacy (AIM).

There are currently spaces at the following locations with September start dates (courses run term-time only, from September to December 2023):

Bridge Central, Lincoln - 12:30pm - 2:30pm, Monday
YPLP, Spalding - 12:30pm - 2:30pm, Monday
Stamford Children’s Centre - 9:15am - 11:45am, Tuesday
One Hub Bourne - 12:30pm - 2:30pm, Tuesday
Spalding Children’s Centre - 9:30am - 11:30am, Wednesday
Stamford Children's Centre - 9:30am - 11:30am, Friday

Advance booking is required. To register your interest and find out more, including start dates, please contact Pauline Mould, Education Project Officer, pauline.mould@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

There is more information about learning to speak English on ‘Connect to Support’ and on 2aspire.

National online English lessons and employment skills training

The UK Government recently announced the new STEP Ukraine programme - this is a free 12-week online English and employment skills course run by World Jewish Relief. The course is designed specifically to help Ukrainian guests with English language skills and to provide training to help find meaningful employment in the UK - for example training in CV writing and interview skills.

The course runs for 2.5 hours per day and you can choose to attend in either the morning, the afternoon or the evening. Morning and afternoon sessions will be timed so that parents can still take children to and from school.

There are 10,000 places available across the UK - if you are interested you are encouraged to register as soon as possible to secure a place in the programme.

Ethnic Minority and Traveller Education Team (EMTET)

As the start of the new school year approaches we just wanted to remind hosts and guests about Lincolnshire County Council's EMTET team.

The EMTET team provides support to children from ethnic minority backgrounds, including those learning English as an additional language. The team works with schools to promote children's integration into Lincolnshire's schools, to promote different cultures and to challenge racism and discrimination. The EMTET team can support individual children with their academic progress, for example through the provision of bilingual teaching materials.

There is more information on the EMTET website, and you can contact them once the school term has started by emailing EMTET@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

Boxes Of Hope second-hand school uniform sales

Lincolnshire charity 'Boxes Of Hope' are running two sale events on Friday 1st September where people can purchase second-hand school uniforms.

Friday 1st September, 10:00am - 12:00pm - Centenary Methodist Church, Red Lion Street, Boston, PE21 6NY
Friday 1st September, 2:00pm - 4:00pm - Community Miracle Shop, 14 High Street, Holbeach, PE12 7DY

Anyone attending is asked to bring a bag with them - 10 items of uniform can be purchased for a total of £5. There is a limit of one bundle of uniform per child.

Sponsoring visas for additional guests before your existing guests have left

We have had a few situations recently with sponsors who have submitted an application for a second group of guests before their first group of guests have left.

A typical scenario might be that the first group of guests are intending to move out (perhaps into rented accommodation in Lincolnshire, or to return to Ukraine) and a sponsor has submitted a new visa application for a second group of guests on the assumption that visa applications can take a while and that the first group of guests will have vacated the property before the second group have their visas approved.

This places Lincolnshire County Council in a tricky situation - when we receive a visa application we are asked to judge whether you can offer suitable accommodation at the time the visa application is made. If you still have your first guests living with you - even if there is the intention that they are going to move out - we may need to flag the your visa application as not being able to offer suitable accommodation if there is not enough room for the two groups of guests to live with you simultaneously.

The reason for this is that sometimes guest plans change - renting plans can fall through, plans to return to Ukraine may have to be cancelled at short notice - and if a second group of guests have visas approved to come to the UK there is the potential they may choose to come and have no accommodation available, and therefore become a homelessness case.

We do try to be as flexible as we can but it would be helpful if sponsors could wait until a first group of guests have actually moved out - rather than have plans to move out - before applying to sponsor a second group.

It may also help to know that there is no standard turnaround time for the Home Office to process visas. The time taken to make a visa decision can be as short as a couple of weeks or as long as a few months so there isn't necessarily an advantage in 'applying early' to sponsor a second group of guests. The variations in visa decision times are down to the length of time it takes the Home Office to complete their national and international checks, and there can also be delays if the application form is not completed correctly.

Understanding Universal Credit

‘Universal Credit’ is a payment to help with you and your family’s living costs. It is paid monthly. You can apply for ‘Universal Credit’ if you are on a low income, not in employment or cannot work. Please note that although the word ‘credit’ translates to ‘loan’ in Ukrainian, general ‘Universal Credit’ is not repayable.

Specific information on financial support, including ‘Universal Credit’, for those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine is available on the gov.uk website. This site is also available in Ukrainian and Russian.

Tips for guests aiming to rent their own accommodation

If you’re a guest hoping to rent your own property in England, here are some tips from other Ukrainians who have already been successful in finding a rented property:

Whilst you’re living with a host, you may be contributing to bills and buying food but you won’t be paying rent. Use the time with your host to save up towards a deposit (at least two months' rent payments) and money for any furniture you might need when you move into your own home. Without a UK credit history, landlords may ask for up to six months' rent in advance.
Learning English will help you to find work and also communicate with a landlord or letting agent. You can do this at face-to-face classes or online – find out more about learning to speak English (ESOL) in Lincolnshire on the ‘Connect to Support’ website.
Landlords or letting agents will often want to check credit history. You could open a savings account with your bank and save a certain amount every month to demonstrate that you can manage your finances and do it on a regular basis (like paying rent).
If you are on benefits or a low income you might be able to get the housing costs element of Universal Credit. You could work this out before so it helps you understand how much rent you can afford to pay.
Lots of people are looking for private rented homes right now and it’s very competitive. Talk to your host about your plans as they may be able to give you advice about where to look locally. Look online every day but also visit local estate agents face-to-face and talk to friends at your nearest community group. Someone you know may know a private landlord who could be willing to help you. Some useful websites are OpenRent, Rightmove and SpareRoom.
Be as flexible as you can be and search for homes in a wider geographical area.
Get in touch if you need further help and advice at wellbeing@e-lindsey.gov.uk or your local district council.

So far, we're aware of 160 Ukrainian groups who have already successfully ‘moved on’ into independent accommodation across Lincolnshire. If you're able to share any experiences of accessing the private rental market in Lincolnshire, please let us know at homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

Events

Please send any events for this newsletter to: homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

New or existing events, activities and any other support services open to Ukrainian guests can also be added to the 'Connect to Support' directory by completing the sign-up form (add ‘Ukraine Support’ to the title of your listings).

Connect to Support website

'Connect to Support' is an online information and advice library, community directory and provider marketplace for people in Lincolnshire.

The Advice for Ukrainian Arrivals information pages are regularly updated and aim to guide Ukrainian guests to local services during their stay in Lincolnshire.

The in-built Google Translate function means that the information can easily be translated into both Ukrainian and Russian. You can also view past editions of this e-newsletter on the site.

Wellbeing Lincs

Wellbeing Lincs logo

'Wellbeing Lincs' offers emotional and practical support - for example, help with advice on accessing health, education, benefits and housing - to all hosts and guests in Lincolnshire.

If you need to have a potentially difficult conversation with your host / guest, the 'Wellbeing Lincs' team may be able help you navigate this. They are trained in providing mediation and can support you in talking things through openly and honestly to reach a positive solution.

For help, email ukraine.wellbeing@e-lindsey.gov.uk with your name, address, contact information and a brief description of what you need.

The team will aim to be in touch within two working days. They can also be contacted by phone on 01507 613044 from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday or 10am to 4.30pm on Fridays.

Important Links / Важливі посилання / Важные ссылки

Contact us

If you have any questions, please contact Lincolnshire County Council's 'Homes for Ukraine' team on homesforukraine@lincolnshire.gov.uk.