We first met Olga and her family on a Zoom call back in June 2022 having been introduced to her through the charity Cambridge4Ukraine . Olga, her Mum Svetlana, and Olga's two children Arina and Arsenii, were living in Kyiv and desperate to escape the daily air raid sirens and rocket attacks. After a long wait, the last of their visas was issued under the British Government's "Homes for Ukraine" scheme in September 2022. They arrived in Bigbury, South Devon on 5 October to the peace and quiet of rural life (Photo above: Arrival at Stansted airport being met by their sponsors).

Olga and her family have many challenges coming to Britain as we approach winter. They had to come to the UK on Ryanair with only two suitcases carrying what they could for four people. Both Olga and Svetlana are very keen to find local part-time jobs soon as the children have settled in at the local school. We are hopeful that this will not be too difficult and that the children enjoy school life. Despite the support of the British Government, their sponsors Henry and Louise Wainwright and donations of cloths, uniforms and toys, Olga and family have some short term needs as they prepare for the winter and the start of school.

To reduce their worries in these early days of their stay, we have set up this donation page to provide a way for our local community, family and friends to help them find their feet until they can get a job locally. If we reach our funding target, any excess will be given to other Ukrainian families in need in the locality. Thank you for your generosity.