"He's like a grandad to my daughter": Ukrainian family's heartfelt 'thanks' to their Stamford hosts
Maria Berestovska fled her country with her two-year-old 5 months ago
A Ukrainian family want to thank their Stamford hosts for taking care of them after they were forced to flee their country.
Maria Berestovska left Ukraine with her two-year-old daughter Hanna 5 months ago, and have been living in Stamford since.
Like other refugees in the area, Maria says she doesn't want to be a "burden" to her hosts at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is putting pressure on household finances.
She says she's lucky her hosts Paul and Carol are financially stable enough to accommodate her - but not every family signed up to the Homes for Ukraine Scheme is:
"For her, Paul is like a grandfather, he's amazing. Carol is really kind and caring - I just really want to thank them.'
'From what I've heard from the locals... we have made a few friends here that we see on a weekly basis. It has gotten more (financially) difficult for some people and those on benefits - that's a different story of course, they have their own circumstances.'
Difficult months ahead
Maria's husband Glib stayed behind in Ukraine in the hope that the war wouldn't last too long.
They now recognise the war could last for up to another year - likely keeping their family apart for longer.
Speaking to family and friends back home, Maria says recent Russian air-strikes are leaving Ukrainians in a very difficult position with the colder months fast approaching:
'Because of the air strikes that have been happening for the past two weeks when the Russians are attacking infrastructure, specifically everything relating to heating and electricity, some people might finally decide to leave.'
The Government's "Thank you" payments of £350 a month per household for those signed up to the Homes for Ukraine scheme can last up to one year.
On the prospect of increasing payments made to hosts, a spokesperson said this in August:
“We have already acted to make sure these payments are exempt from tax, and continue to monitor and review the support provided under the scheme.”