People in Scarborough urged to offer up spare rooms to Ukrainian refugees
More sponsors are needed in the town
People in Scarborough are being urged to offer up their spare rooms to house Ukrainian refugees.
Hamish Hobkinson took in a family who came from the war-torn country a year ago.
He said: "I was collecting a mother with two children and her sister also with two children, so there were six of altogether. When I first saw them, they were just carrying a few items of hand luggage. This was it, this was the worldly goods that they would be able to bring with them.
"I have three boys but two were away studying and working and originally the lady we were sponsoring had asked if someone could sponsor her sister, so we didn't have all six with us. We had a room with a bathroom.
"The mother of the two children that we had, she had been an English teacher in Ukraine. The girls however were not. It was a question of adjusting gradually and finding out ways we could help. I suppose they enrich your lives as well; you start to a gain little bit of the language that they're using and they gain from your use of language.
"The thought that you could provide safe harbour for their families, wives and children just to enable them to concentrate and focus on what they need to do. These guys are having to fight and their aims are going to be that much straighter if they don't have to be looking over their shoulders worrying about their women and children.
"You meet new people. You meet people who are fundamentally I think keen on helping other people who are in need. Having the chance to do something where the intentions are good, there are hiccups along the way but you learn about yourself and other people."
Anyone who is interested in becoming a sponsor can contact the Scarborough Sunflower Appeal group on Facebook.