The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A Pinchbeck family are among 170 in Lincolnshire set to take in families fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The Ruddle family are set to welcome a mum and her two children aged 11 and five to stay with them as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme after they fled their home in the south of the country following the invasion by Russian armed forces.
William Ruddle, who runs Spalding Massage Therapy, has been busy sourcing what they need on Facebook, things like an extra bed, wardrobe and a gas safety certificate.
And the whole family wanted to help including wife Louise and their 17-year-old twin son and daughter Joshua and Hannah, the latter having given up a room she used so the family have a place to stay after spending the last month in temporary accommodation in Poland.
William said: “It’s been my way of life and particularly as a Christian that I have an obligation to help those in need.
“They are certainly in a much worse situation than we are.
“It was a whole family decision and our children are very supportive of it.
“There’s a lot to do when the family get here including trying to get the children into a local school, but they also don’t speak any English.
“They’re also going to need support.”
The whole Homes for Ukraine process has been frustrating for the Riddles.
The pair had to find the family they’ve been allocated on Facebook themselves and use translation services to communicate with them.
“It’s been arduous, repetitive and unnecessarily bureaucratic,” William said. “Why would they need to know the birth town of a five-year-old who is trying to flee war?
“You have to complete a 20 page application for each member of the family.
“It’s taking me five hours talking to the family on Facebook and using Google translate.”
A meeting of Lincolnshire County Council’s Executive on Tuesday heard one family had already arrived in the county as part of the Family and Friends Scheme.
Debbie Barnes, chief executive, said: “There’s about 170 people in Lincolnshire who want to open their homes and welcome refugees from Ukraine.
“We’re working with the district councils, the police and our health colleagues to look at the best possible ways to welcome people into the county.
“We’re currently working with the councils to contact those that have offered to open their homes.
“We’re expecting to see the first families arriving from the Ukraine in the next couple of weeks”.
