Volunteer group offering free matching service between Ukrainians and UK sponsors
Can you host a Ukrainian family in the UK?
Announcement
UK Welcomes Ukraine, a volunteer group matching Ukrainians with hosts in the United Kingdom, is happy to announce important changes that should allow us to increase the efficiency of our work.
We have teamed up with two incredible partners - Citizens UK, a non-profit organisation helping to establish effective connections between communities, and USP UK, a charity dedicated to providing a pathway for Ukrainians fleeing the war to find refuge in the UK.
From now on, we will work off the joint databases of Ukrainians and the UK sponsors, which should lead to more people finding homes and re-establish their lives in the UK!
If you think of becoming a sponsor for Ukrainians, feel free to apply through our website https://ukwelcomesukraine.org or either of our two partners. We’re happy to guide you through the process, find a good match for you and help with the paperwork.
If you’re a Ukrainian wishing to come to the UK alone or with family, please note that we will no longer accept applications directly. We suggest you contact USP UK. However, please note there is a significant backlog of existing applications that we’re jointly working through.
Site Updates
We have updated information on Universal Credit and other benefits (in Russian). Hopefully, you’ll find it useful!
Ми оновили інформацію про Універсальний кредит та інші посібники (російською). Сподіваємося, ви знайдете це корисним!
Meet Our Hosts and Volunteers
Big thank you to our generous hosts and our devoted volunteers who make this possible! As the war rages on we desperately need more hosts to provide safe housing to Ukrainian families. Apply on our website and we’ll find a family for you.
How it works
How we can help you find a Ukrainian family
You fill in a form. If you want to sponsor a Ukrainian family, please fill in the form.
We’ll get in touch with you. We’ll talk you through on what it means to host a Ukrainian family and tell you everything about sponsor requirements and restrictions. You may choose not to proceed at this stage, which is absolutely fine.
We’ll find a family for you. Once a suitable family is identified we come back to you to discuss any questions in regards to this specific family.
You get to know the Ukrainian family. If you are happy with all the arrangements a video call is arranged where you meet the family, and show the property, and the rooms where the Ukrainian family would stay. Our team member will be present on the call for any mediation or translation.
You decide if it is a good fit. After the call both sides are given an opportunity to have a think and make the final decision.
You and your guests apply for the visa. If both sides are happy to proceed we’ll assist filling out the visa forms and answer any questions on the further process.
You meet your guests in the UK.
About us
The group UKWelcomesUkraine (formerly Homes4Ukraine) was founded in March 2022 by a few British people with roots in Ukraine Moldova and Russia. We bumped into each other online while helping our Ukrainian friends and families settle in the UK.
We advertised our efforts on Facebook and within weeks we have become a collaboration of over a hundred volunteers, everyone driven by the desire to lend a hand to the Ukrainians fleeing the war.
We specialise in matching British hosts with Ukrainian families, helping them navigate the murky waters of intercultural and interlanguage gaps as well as assisting with the visa applications.
Our purpose is to get Ukrainian people out of harm's way, make them feel secure and welcome in our country until they can safely return to their homes.
Feedback from our UK sponsors and their Ukrainian guests
“Working with this wonderful set of volunteers has been a pleasure. They have linked so many Ukrainian families with hosts, they have supported every step of the way through application, translation and no problem is too big. A truly amazing community to be a part of. Thank you for all of your hard work. Naomi”
— Naomi Ruth Jones
“Within 48 hours of being introduced to H4Uk, we were in video contact with our wonderful Ukrainian guests, a superb translator and a visa expert.The visa application was expertly supported and visas granted smoothly within a few days.Our colleagues from H4Uk worked tirelessly throughout, and their good humour and joy during the process was clearly evident.We are now hosting the most delightful Mother and son who have become our new daughter and grandson!After our disappointment at the limited and slow progress we experienced previously, our meeting and subsequent working with H4U has been both supremely effective and joyful.Well don to all at H4Uk, and special mention for our friends Tatiana and Katya.”
— Fergus Cameron
“Девчонки, огромное вам спасибо за помощь!!!
Если бы не вы, то у меня ничего не получилось. Вы помогли найти мне спонсора, оформить анкеты, и вообще... Поддержки я такой давно не видела. За 2 дня имеем визы. Спасибо огромное!!!!”
— Mariana Hrynovetska
“Дорогие друзья, спасибо, что вы есть!!!
Спасибо вам за ваш труд, терпение, заботу и внимание! Спасибо всей вашей организации и отдельно Татьяне, Алексею и Светлане. Вы очень помогли мне и моему британскому спонсору Дон. Мне было страшновато, т.к. не понимала какие шаги предпринять и что сделать дальше. С такой поддержкой ничего не страшно) Еще и неожиданно быстро решилось с визой. Собственно, почему неожиданно?)) С такой командой все решается легко и просто!!!
Спасибо за ваше доброе дело!!!”
— Алла Колесникова
“Wow what a great support network, Alex Zilber and svatlana David’s have been absolutely amazing , first contact 2 weeks ago and now my Ukrainian Lady has her visa and rights to travel , I could have never done it alone so I thank you from the bottom of my heart . You are true hero’s.”
— Dawn Read-Rose
Feel free to contact us, we’d love to help
Please note that we have temporarily stopped accepting new applications from Ukrainian families, and we are doing as much as possible to resume this shortly. In the meantime, if you are a Ukrainian national looking for help, we suggest checking the following organisations that may help in finding sponsors and places to stay in the UK:
facebook.com/groups/655548835724227
facebook.com/groups/683850136294168
If you are a UK resident looking for help matching you with a Ukrainian refugee family and filling in all the necessary application documents, please fill in our form. One of our volunteers will get in touch with you shortly.
Disclaimer
UKwelcomesUkraine is a small group of UK-based bilingual volunteers helping to connect Ukrainians fleeing the war with hosts across the United Kingdom who are generously offering their homes as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Please note that we are merely a volunteer group intended to connect Ukrainian refugees with British hosts.
Please understand that your contact information might be shared between our volunteers.
Once you fill out this form one of us will be in touch to find out more about you and make sure your personal circumstances and preferences are taken into account.
To update your availability or withdraw your application, please drop us a line at: [email protected]
(Please note our @ukwelcomesukraine.org emails are temporarily unavailable as we are migrating our website)