'We have a generous community' but we need to be sure we can help
Tens of thousands of Britons have already come forward to offer Ukrainian refugees homes for at least six months and today we're hearing from one community which is jointly making sure it will have the 'right offer'
Last updated 15th Mar 2022
More than 43,000 British households have signed up to the government's Homes For Ukraine scheme so far - but community leaders in the West Country are urging those looking to house refugees to 'think carefully about what exactly they are offering'.
Sponsors will receive a monthly payment of £350 for each family taken in - and different areas in the West Country are all looking to offer help and support to those displaced by the invasion.
In Bruton, in Somerset, the community is being asked what skills they have combined as officials look at what they could offer refugees.
Jonathan Evans, the Reverend of St Mary's Church in Bruton, said: "It's a generous community.
"It's a community where there is some spare accommodation in people's houses, also I think we're hopeful that would be able to offer the sort of wider support that we expect will be crucial for people coming to settle here either permanently or for a short time.
"We've got four schools in Bruton, they've all got facilities that they're looking at ways of being able to share.
"We've got people here with personal experience of working with traumatised refugees from previous conflicts.
"We've got people with relevant professional skills in counselling and in education and things like that.
"We're hopeful that we'd be able to structure something that offers much more than the basic necessities of safe accommodation, food and clothing - but actually addresses some of the wider needs to access to services for mental and physical health and for social integration and social wellbeing.
"We would put together a programme of social activities."
Torbay says it has a 'great tradition of helping those displaced by war, with Brixham particularly supporting those from Belgium during the second world war'.
Council leader Steve Darling said: "More recently we have provided sanctuary to Syrian and Afghan families, and we will be offering Torbay as a healthy and safe place to live for Ukrainian refugees. In anticipation of this, we would like to renew our plea to those who may be able to offer suitable self-contained accommodation to get in touch with us. Anyone that can offer a self-contained home is urged to contact us
Meanwhile, people fleeing the conflict are also able to enter the UK more easily as the visa process is simplified from today.
The government scheme launched yesterday - with demand so great that the website crashed shortly after opening.
An evening news programme on one of Russia's most-watched TV channels has been disrupted by an anti-war protest.
A woman - who's thought to have worked at the network - held up a banner calling the broadcast 'propaganda'.
Protesting against the invasion of Ukraine can result in jail in Russia.
Ukraine's president has told his country talks with Russia yesterday were 'pretty good'.
Discussions will resume later.
Here, the Ministry of Defence says intelligence suggests Russia may be planning to stage a so-called referendum in the city of Kherson.
It believes the move could be an attempt to legitimise the area - in the same way Moscow has already recognised parts of Ukraine as 'breakaway republics'.