An Eden man who dedicates his time voluntarily to supporting Ukrainian people living in the area has this week helped find a host in Kirkby Stephen for a family of five from Kyviv who are desperate to leave their war-torn country.
Frank Chalmers, aged 73, of Brough, said the mother’s children were becoming traumatised by sirens every night and random explosions in residential areas.
“It is pretty horrible,” he said.
On Tuesday, the host family in Kirkby Stephen had a meeting online with the Ukrainian family and now it is all systems go to get a visa processed by the Home Office.
Frank explained that the family would now have to wait for the Home Office to send the visa to Kyviv.
“In the meantime the children, aged 14, eight and two are at risk every day of a (Russian) missile attack,” said Frank.
Frank has been in contact with the family for over a year.
“They contacted me initially, because it is large family and the legal constraints are that the council can only agree if there is a certain amount of rooms in the property, it means it is very hard to find space for a family,” he said.
Having retired about 15 years ago, after a career working in criminal justice, with prisons, probation and youth offending teams, Frank says it is now through voluntary work that he finds usefulness in his life.
“It is very complex and very satisfying,” said Frank of the work he does.
“The Ukrainian people are wonderful people. We really have to help them as much as we possibly can.”
Frank moved to the Eden area from South Manchester, living first in Ravenstonedale before moving to Brough nearly 10 years.
Having become very worried about the impending invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Frank said: “I felt it was so dreadful an occurrence, and so unfair.
“I felt that I should commit and do something about it. I was not really sure what.”
Frank then found out there were two Ukrainians living in Brough, who had fled from their country, so he made contact with them and committed to try and help them.
From there it grew and he engaged in helping anybody in Eden from Ukraine.
“I know around about 30 Ukrainians and at various times they might phone me up and say ‘I’ve got this problem about insurance, or housing’, or they need to go to Newcastle airport, anything they want, really, I will try and do,” said Frank.
Joint activities also take place, including walks which are co-ordinated by Mark Finnie, of Penrith.
He is also organising a Christmas party for Ukrainian friends living in Eden.
Frank added: “We are still looking for more hosts as winter approaches and the weather gets colder – with hundreds of drones and missiles attacking residential properties across Ukraine.”
In addition, Frank said the electricity grid in that country has been destroyed by two thirds, so it was going to be a “pretty desperate winter”.
Once a host is able to offer an address, the process can start to bring Ukrainians over.
The Homes for Ukraine arrangement is that accommodation is offered for a minimum of six months. But it can turn out to be much longer.
Frank said there was one woman in Penrith who had got a job locally and had been living with her host for coming up for two years now.
Frank has set up a Hosts Hub 4 Ukraine telephone number (07389 095269) to help co-ordinate support in the Eden area.
