Helping Hand for Ukraine Appeal Update.
Thanks to the support and donations we have received, the Helping Hand for Ukraine Appeal has raised over £38,000 to provide support directly to the refugees sheltered in our wonderful county.
Heart of Bucks has worked closely with Buckinghamshire Council to collect donations from across our communities to help newly arrived Ukrainian refugees.
Families arriving in the county are being supported as they integrate themselves into the local community.
A number of grants have been awarded for a variety of purposes, including:
- School essentials – uniform and laptop
- Bus pass to attend English language lessons
- A suit to attend job interviews and to work
- Support for a Community Hub offering a wide range of support from a befriending program to trauma workshops and counselling
- Support for refugees to become independent – travel costs from villages to register for Universal Credit, for biometric tests and for work experience
We have also supported local organisations including Wycombe Refugee Partnership.
Speaking about how the funding helped one family, they said:
We have provided food, cash, sim cards, clothing, medication and toys. We are helping them to register with a GP, open a bank account, apply for Universal Credit and a National Insurance number. A qualified volunteer will accompany the man to his interview at the Job Centre and then help him to apply for jobs. When the family move into their new home, we shall source the furniture and furnishings they need. We shall also ensure that the wife receives ESOL tuition. We will operate for as long as we are needed, but always with the intention of encouraging independence.
The support we have received for the Ukraine appeal is making a real difference to our local refugees as they rebuild their lives – thank you.
For more information and to donate on our Total Giving page, click here!
If you would like to contact Heart of Bucks about your donation, please email: giving@heartofbucks.org
In addition to The Helping Hand for Ukraine appeal, Heart of Bucks also manages The Crisis Appeal for Buckinghamshire. Donations to this are urgently needed to meet the increasing demand for one-off support for local people in need – from food and household essentials to help with energy costs.
