Supporting refugees from Ukraine
The conflict in Ukraine shows us, once again, the terrifying reality of what it means to flee in fear of your life, leaving behind everything you know and love.
Octavia has a proud history of supporting displaced people coming to the UK because of war or persecution and we are once again working with our Local Authority partners to contribute to local efforts in the boroughs in which we operate, including Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster City Council and Hammersmith & Fulham.
Many of our residents have been in touch to ask what help and support they can provide directly, so we’ve outlined some suggestions below:
What can I do to help?
Donate
Lots of international aid charities are supporting people in Ukraine - a small donation can go a long way to support people in time of need.
- Disasters Emergency Committee will provide food, water, shelter and medical assistance which the UK government will match pound for pound up to £20 million.
- British Red Cross is running a crisis appeal to help people affected get food, water, first aid, medicines, warm clothes or shelter.
- Choose Love supports projects offering emergency medical care, food, shelter, clothing, legal support, mental health support and support to the LGBTQIA+ community.
- Muslim Hands, a charity handing out emergency packs containing food, blankets and hygiene products in Poland.
Volunteer locally
Local organisations may have local volunteering opportunities, together with invitations to donate clothes, food and other supplies.
Join our team of dedicated and passionate volunteers who support people affected by ill health, social isolation, low income or unemployment in central and west London.
West London Welcome is a community centre run for and with refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and other locals living in West London.
Westminster volunteering is organised via Westminster Connects, which is run by Westminster City Council.
The K&C Volunteer Centre links, connects and integrates local people with their community.
Hammersmith & Fulham Volunteer Centre promote, support and develop volunteering within the borough.
Offer a spare room to people fleeing Ukraine
The Government’s Homes for Ukraine Scheme supports people who would like to offer a spare room for at least six months to people displaced by the war in Ukraine.
The most up-to-date information about the scheme can be found on the government’s ‘Homes for Ukraine’ information page. There are also some FAQs that may answer any questions you have.
There are several things to consider before you decide to host, including:
- The size of your home - there are strict guidelines on how many people can live in your home, set out in housing law. You can find this information in your tenancy agreement.
- Financial assistance with your rent - having people living with you, even short-term, can affect any financial help you receive towards your rent or service charges such Universal Credit or Housing Benefit. You can find more information on the government’s ‘Homes for Ukraine’ information page.
- Insurance arrangements - it is worth checking whether your home insurance policies could be affected by hosting a refugee.
To get involved in the scheme, you need to register your interest in becoming a sponsor. We will need to confirm you have done this before agreeing that you can host.
Once you have registered your interest in becoming a sponsor, you need to complete the form below and submit it to us. Once we receive your form, we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.