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Dear Sponsors and Guests,
As part of Central Bedfordshire Council’s ongoing commitment to supporting you all, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our Ukraine Support Team. We will be your first point of contact for any issues, concerns, or general enquiries you may have. Big or small, they all matter to us.
Over the next few weeks, we will be making contact to ensure that you have everything you need, and to signpost you to, or liaise on your behalf with, the correct department if you don’t. We are committed to helping you in any way we can, and to making your experience as easy as possible.
If you need anything in the meantime, you can call us on 0300 300 8855 or email us on homesforukraine@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
Mel Goult, Ukraine Support Team Manager
News and updates
Information on our website
Don’t forget about our website! We have created a whole section which covers the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, initial support for guests, how to access financial support including Universal Credit, as well as information about education, training, how to set up a bank account, health and wellbeing. Most of our website can be translated into Ukrainian.
Find out more and see what information we have available.
Supporting guests to access vaccines and immunisations
We are asking sponsors to support their Ukrainian guests to register with a GP. It is particularly important that adults and children are up to date with the UK immunisation schedule, especially important for measles and polio vaccines, as polio was recently detected in London sewage and is a growing public health concern.
Find out how to register with a GP.
Webinar for sponsors
We are planning a webinar for sponsors, to allow you to meet the people at the Council who have been working on our response to the conflict in Ukraine, find out about local support and allow an opportunity for people to ask questions. We’re planning this for September and hope to confirm a date in the next issue.
Free summer holiday activities
This summer, any Ukrainian child of school age (5 to 16 years old as of 22 June) can access free summer holiday activities through our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.
Our HAF programme provides free, fun activities for children in Reception through to year 11 at school who receive benefits-based free school meals.
We are working with some amazing organisations to put on a whole host of activities over the full six-week summer break. This summer, children can get involved with creative activities, multi-activity clubs, outdoor and sports-focussed sessions, and youth and holiday clubs for 11-to-16-year-olds. All children who attend face-to-face activities will be provided with healthy snacks and lunch.
To see all the activities on offer and to book, you will first need to register each child that will attend using the purple button below. When you book, you will need to quote the reference number you received for each child from the registration process.
Free travel for Ukraine refugees extended until 20 December
Stagecoach is providing free travel for Ukrainian guests from their point of entry into England until they reach their destination. Guests have 48 hours from arrival in England to complete their journey. The offer is valid until 20 December.
Any Ukrainian who has arrived in England will be able to travel for free with Stagecoach by showing their Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket showing arrival into the UK, to confirm that they have arrived within 48 hours.
Community events
A Welcoming Place
A Welcoming Place is held every Thursday at the Baptist Church in Hockliffe Street in Leighton Buzzard, from 10am to midday. It’s designed for guests and sponsors to meet, socialise, chat and build relationships.
Drop in sessions at our Children's Centres
Our Children’s Centres in Flitwick, Shefford and Biggleswade have organised drop-in sessions for families and sponsors, to offer extra support and a place for families to socialise. An additional group will be starting in Leighton Buzzard soon. Find out where your nearest Children’s Centre is, and how to contact them, on our Family Information Directory.