Techbuyer Backs Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme

Unprecedented public and corporate condemnation of the illegal war Russia is waging in Ukraine has left many thousands of businesses, including Techbuyer, and individuals across the UK wondering how they can actively help Ukrainians trying to flee the terror in their homeland.

In response, the British government has undertaken to put in place a new humanitarian sponsorship programme that will allow an unlimited number of Ukrainians and their families to come to the UK to work and live in safety, regardless of whether they already have close relatives here.

On Monday, March 14, Levelling Up, Housing & Communities Secretary Michael Gove spoke in Parliament about the launch of the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship programme due to start “later this week”, which will enable people in the UK to offer accommodation to Ukrainians wishing to come here. During the session, Mr Gove said: “Many of those [Ukrainians] who want to come here will want to work and contribute, will want to be fully part of society, and it is the case already that we’ve had offers from those in the private sector who are willing to provide training and jobs to people so that they can fully integrate into society for as long as they’re here.”

That is to be applauded and Techbuyer fully supports the initiative and we will take part in the programme as best we can when it is functioning. Businesses, other organisations and individuals can register their interest on the government’s Homes for Ukraine website page here. Techbuyer has registered its own interest on the site.

Techbuyer is also backing the UK-based Global Sanctuary Foundation’s plea for businesses, community groups, individuals and others to now register their desire to become a sponsor through its own website. We have also registered Techbuyer’s interest with the Foundation and if you wish to do so, please see the link at the end of this page.

As the Foundation says: “Declaring your interest will greatly assist the development and acceleration of this vital provision for Ukrainian refugees.” The Foundation points out that registering your interest swiftly will give a picture of how many Ukrainian families we are likely to be able to help.

The Global Sanctuary Foundation is a partnership between registered charities and other agencies and is led by Dr Krish Kandia who has in-depth experience in this field following his successful bids to support refugees from Syria and Afghanistan and other countries.

In response to the government’s announcement of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, Dr Kandia said on Monday: “With the invasion of Ukraine, the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War is unfolding. I welcome with great enthusiasm the UK government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme. I stand ready both personally and professionally to be part of this extraordinary welcome of Ukrainian refugees.”

As part of the Foundation’s bid to support those who wish to help, it is hosting a free online Ukraine Humanitarian Sponsorship Information Evening tomorrow, Wednesday, March 16, looking at how to welcome Ukrainian refugees

As the Foundation says: “The details of the government scheme are being developed at pace. At this event you will hear from experienced refugee experts, Ukrainian refugees, people who have experience hosting refugees and government officials involved in designing the programme.” The programme begins at 7.30pm and ends at 9pm GMT. To register for the event, click here.

The Foundation works with the Home Office-funded organisation Reset, the UK’s Community Sponsorship learning hub. All sponsorship groups must be trained by Reset in order for the Home Office to approve their applications to resettle a refugee family. Reset’s training covers the full range of the sponsorship journey, from planning an application to preparing for a family’s arrival and it supports sponsors over the first year of integration through regular meetings with everyone involved to track progress, identify and resolve potential issues and offer support.

Kate Brown, Reset’s Co-Director, said of the Homes for Ukraine scheme: “We warmly welcome the introduction of a way in which communities in the UK can open their doors to welcome those who so urgently need help. We have seen that, when communities come together to welcome those seeking sanctuary, they can make a huge impact, transforming the lives of so many whilst offering safety to those who need it.”

By registering your interest as a sponsor with the Global Sanctuary Foundation you will help it and Reset understand the scale of support that will be needed for sponsors and prepare for it.

As of 4pm on Tuesday, March 14, the Foundation had received a total of 21,111 pledges from potential sponsors, including 389 UK businesses. The more expressions of interest registered, the more we can encourage the government there is widespread public support for the sponsorship programme and, hopefully, aid its implementation.

It really can’t come soon enough for the terrorised people of Ukraine.

We stand with Ukraine.

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