One year on – Ukraine guest marks a whole year in Buckinghamshire

Ivanna arrived in the UK on 25 March 2022 as one of the first Ukrainians to flee the war in their country. Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and with the support of her sponsor and Buckinghamshire Council she settled quickly into life with her sponsor family.

Ivanna said: “I am grateful to have an opportunity to stay in the UK during such a difficult time. The UK government and sponsors have been so welcoming and arranged for all possible help one could think of. I did not speak English when I arrived to the UK, however there was a lot of help with signing up for English courses which helped me greatly with settling down. Also, I had a lot of support in terms of finding the job opportunities. Our local coordinators are always in close communication too and can assist with any questions that may come up – I feel safe and warmly welcomed.”

Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council, commented: "I am pleased that Ivanna has been looked after so well during her stay with us in Buckinghamshire. Leaving friends, family, and everything you know is incredibly hard and we remain dedicated to supporting our arriving guests and sponsors through every step of the transition process.

"Like Ivanna’s sponsors, while many residents are happy to extend and continue with their sponsorship agreement, for some it isn’t feasible to continue beyond the first six months – which is why there is an immediate requirement to encourage and support people to register their interest in becoming Rematching Sponsors.

Since our last Rematching Sponsor appeal in November 2022, our dedicated team has been able to facilitate 30 rematches and we know more sponsors will make a huge difference to our Ukrainian guests as they continue to build their life and independence. So if you’re interested in becoming a Rematching Sponsor, then the library roadshows are a great opportunity to speak with one of our experts and hear about the benefits of rematching."

A Rematching Sponsor is a sponsor who agrees to host an individual guest or guest family after their original sponsorship placement has ended. As the guest or guest family has already been in Buckinghamshire, lots of the essential steps to help them settle have already been completed.

To promote the benefits of rematching, a series of information events have been taking place at Buckinghamshire Council’s libraries. The events provide people in Buckinghamshire with a fantastic opportunity to speak face-to-face with one of the council’s Ukraine Rematching experts, find out more about the process of becoming a Rematching Sponsor, and see the support available to sponsors to make a difference to Ukrainian guests in Buckinghamshire communities.

Find out more about how to become a Rematching Sponsor.