East Cambridgeshire District Council continues to encourage residents to provide accommodation to help fleeing Ukrainians.

ECDC is encouraging anyone who can offer a spare bedroom and some support for guests as they settle into a new life in the area to register their interest.

The council can offer help, advice and resources to hosts and guests, in partnership with many other organisations, including a monthly 'thank you' payment of £350 from central government.

Many women and children have already been housed in the district but more homes are needed as the crisis continues.

Most recently, a couple from Ely has successful housed a woman called Olena Ostrovska who fled from the Donbas region.

After spotting an advert from the couple, Dr Ian and Suzanne Lindsay, Olena took up the offer for a room and received a response within minutes.

Not long after, she was on a train headed towards St Pancreas Station to meet the couple for the first time and she says they “could not have been more welcoming":.

She said: “I was very worried about leaving but my family were insistent. They said ‘What is the point in no-one surviving? We want at least one person to survive and we want that to be you’.”

“I have really benefited from the personal approach everyone has taken. It is not just a tick in a box.

“Taking on someone from Ukraine can be a big responsibility. It is not just about giving someone a place to live, it is far more than that.

“Some people in Ukraine have seen a lot and have been traumatised because of the war.

“If anyone is thinking of offering their homes I would encourage them to come forward. I, for one, am so, so grateful for all of the support I have received and the Lindsays have been so kind.”

“My message for fellow Ukrainians who are thinking of coming over is to be active. To get out there and ask people.

“I know there are people who have come over and they are waiting for people in England to reach out to them and sort out everything for them. It’s not like that.

“You have to reach out and meet people and sort stuff out for yourselves. We all need to listen, to talk and to find ways to fit in.

“We may not know how to speak English but somebody can cook, somebody can help with children. It’s about reaching out, talking and learning the language. We all have to take a step forward.”

Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, Anna Bailey, said: “Here in East Cambridgeshire we have been able to support dozens of families who have desperately needed help to flee the atrocities in Ukraine.

“The support that residents have been able to offer in making them feel welcome and wanted has been amazing.

“To ensure we are able to continue to offer this help we desperately need more families to come forward who are able to offer a spare room and provide some of the practical and emotional support.

“I know many people may be in a position to offer support but worried about what this actually means in practical terms.

“We can provide you with more detailed information about what to expect and ensure the advice you receive is tailored to your personal circumstances.

“There are many thousands of women and children in Ukraine who still desperately need help and anything we can do to offer assistance won’t just offer them reassurance and stability - It could save their lives.”

A community hub has also been established every Thursday at the Lighthouse Centre, in Ely; offering a friendly atmosphere for hosts and guests to meet and socialise with a free play area and activities for the children, along with refreshments for all attending.

Anyone who would like to find out more should contact Angela Paramenter for an informal chat on: 01353 665555.