North Yorkshire man who fled Ukraine and helped other refugees set to return to UK
Lewis Edwards and his partner Tanya are hoping to be accepted on the government's refugee scheme
Last updated 24th Mar 2022
A North Yorkshire man who was forced to evacuate his home in Kyiv is heading back to the county.
Lewis Edwards, from Ripon, and his partner Tanya Bogdanovska travelled for several days and slept by the sides of the roads to get to safety after their home city was bombed, helping dozens more along the way by sourcing food and other essentials.
They then set up a group of volunteers on the Slovakia-Ukraine border to help other refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Mr Edwards, said:
"To be honest, we didn't expect to help as many people as we did. When you consider the network of people we've been working with, the people we've just provided information to, transport, food, it's probably in the hundreds.
"We're really happy with what we've been able to do. There is an element of sadness at it coming to an end but happiness that the Slovakian government are stepping in. It's mixed emotions for us."
The first time we spoke with Lewis, our interview was interrupted by air raid sirens sounding across the city, so he had to get to shelter.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lewis' journey so far
The team had been residing at a summer camp location after setting up a station for people crossing the border.
But their efforts are now winding down now that the Slovakian government have announced aid packages for Ukrainian refugees.
Mr Edwards and Ms Bogdanovska are hoping to be housed in Ripon once they are granted access to the UK, after a local woman offered to house the couple.
Mr Edwards, added:
"In the next couple of days we'll be sorting out the visa process and will just be waiting for that to be approved. We've had an amazing offer from a lady in Ripon who will host us both so we know that we have a house to come to as long as we get approved.
"We'll come to England for as long as we have to be there but our eventual goal is to go home; back to Kyiv. So we can rebuild our lives there, just the same as everybody else who has been forced to leave."