Lincolnshire has welcomed more than 1,000 Ukrainian refugees

The number of refugees Lincolnshire has welcomed from Ukraine since March has passed the 1,000 mark.

The Resettlement Project in Lincolnshire helped organise the Government’s Homes for Ukraine Scheme and said a total of 1,066 guests arrived in the county following the conflict in Ukraine.

They added that more than 150 had since moved on from their hosts, either outside of the county or returning to Ukraine.

As of Wednesday, there were 908 Ukrainians still residing with hosts in Lincolnshire.

Councillor Richard Wright, leader of North Kesteven District Council and Lincolnshire representative on the East Midlands Migration Board, said: “As we reach this important milestone, we offer our sincere thanks to everyone who has shown incredible generosity in supporting the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Lincolnshire to date.

“We are still appealing for new hosts across the county and urge anyone that is able to offer temporary accommodation to families and individuals fleeing the war, to please get in touch with the Lincolnshire Homes for Ukraine team for further details.”

A report before Lincolnshire County Council’s Adults and Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee earlier in the day revealed that the county had so far received £4.72m relating to 443 guests supported by 196 sponsor families.

The authority forecasts that to deal with the rest of the guests it would receive double that income in the second quarter.

The government has provided £10,500 per person to councils to support families rebuilding their lives in the UK.

The money helps with a range of activities, including helping children settle into schools, coffee mornings and English language classes.

Potential hosts need to be able to offer accommodation for a minimum of six months, and those who are successfully matched to Ukrainian guests are offered a £350 per month ‘thank you’ payment.

If you think you could commit to hosting, please complete the Lincolnshire Homes for Ukraine Team’s expression of interest form at https://bit.ly/HfULincsEOIForm

Hosts will also need to provide help with tasks such as registering with a GP, accessing local and public services, and opening a bank account.