A new ‘Welcome to Nottingham’ information pack has been developed to help people arriving from Ukraine and those sponsoring them to stay here.
There has been an incredible response from local communities coming together in Nottingham to aid international appeals and efforts helping those fleeing the war, with many residents offering to open up their homes to Ukrainians.
Nottingham City Council wants to thank these residents for their kindness and patience and thank partners for coming together to support the cause.
To welcome new arrivals to the city and to help those sponsoring them, the council has created a ‘Welcome to Nottingham’ guide for Ukrainian guests and sponsors taking part in the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
The pack is full of helpful information for guests and hosts, such as registering for healthcare, finding school places or finding work. It will help people understand and access the wide range of support available in Nottingham, including mental health support, help with finances and benefits and things to do in Nottingham.
The information is being provided to all Ukraine guests and their sponsors in Nottingham. It will be online, in a downloadable format so it can be printed. Printed versions will be available at the Ukrainian Cultural Centreand you can visit our Joint Service Centres and local libraries or the Customer Hub at Loxley House and ask for a printed copy.
A translated version in Ukrainian is also currently being created and will be available soon.
Councillor Neghat Khan, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, Safety and Inclusion at Nottingham City Council, said: “We want to offer a welcoming place of safety to all migrant communities so they can successfully resettle and integrate in Nottingham.
“Nottingham is an ethnically-diverse and friendly city, which prides itself on the warm welcome it extends to people from all corners of the globe who want to make their home here, regardless of their situation.
“Our teams have been working hard alongside local voluntary organisations and other local councils to offer vital support to new arrivals and make sure that people coming here have access to basic needs such as housing, education, healthcare and food, as well as helping them integrate into their community.”
People arriving in the UK will be here on two schemes, either the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, where local people offer homes for people as their guest with support from the local council, or the Ukraine Family Scheme if they have come to join family members already living in the UK.
As part of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, Nottingham City Council is supporting guests and their sponsors and carrying out a number of checks to ensure Ukrainian guests are safe and well.
The Council is:
- Inspecting the property to ensure it is safe for guests to stay there
- Carrying out a further check with the Disclosure & Barring Service for all adults in the sponsor household
- Carrying out enhanced checks if guests’ families include children or vulnerable adults.
There are some Ukrainian people who have come over to the UK on a Travel Visa. That visa differs from the Homes for Ukraine scheme and the £350 does not apply. People can move over to the Home for Ukraine visa from a Travel visa. To transfer over, people need to call the free 24/7 helpline on +44 808 164 8810 (0808 164 8810 from within the UK). If they cannot contact UK 0808 numbers, please use +44 (0)175 390 7510. More information can be found on the main Gov.uk website.
This is a Government scheme; Nottingham City Council cannot help with visas.
Support for Ukrainian guest(s)
Access the ‘Welcome to Nottingham’ guide here. Translated packs will be ready shortly, follow @MyNottingham on Facebook and Twitter to find our when they are available.
You can also refer to the national Welcome: a guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK.
To donate Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal | Disasters Emergency Committee (dec.org.uk)
For further sources of support for people affected by the invasion of Ukraine: Support for Ukraine | Nottingham City Council