Ukraine Crisis

TWR has been appalled by the scenes of destruction and misery coming out of Ukraine. Our hearts are touched as we see images and hear stories of families leaving everything behind as they flee for their lives, or have their homes destroyed. As an organisation we are eager to offer friendship and support to all refugees who find themselves in the Taunton, Wellington, and Bridgwater area. This certainly extends to those from Ukraine.

Hundreds of wonderful local people have put themselves forward as sponsors for the ‘Homes For Ukraine’ Scheme and have welcomed people into their homes. Although a few families have since returned to Ukraine, or joined friends or family elsewhere in the UK, the majority of those who arrived in 2022 or the first half of 2023 have now left their hosts and are living in independent accommodation. During this time, many have found employment or are contributing our communities in many other ways, for which we are very grateful.

However, some families continue to arrive from Ukraine, and sometimes sponsors need a break, so there is still a need for people to act as hosts, either for new arrivals or to offer temporary respite for those already here. Please note that TWR is not able to assist with pairing refugees with would-be sponsors, but if you are able to help in this way or need further advice please contact  Somerset Council at  Homes for Ukraine Scheme (somerset.gov.uk) and Ukraine – information for sponsors (somerset.gov.uk). If, as a host, you are interested in improving your skills for helping your guests with their English, then there is an online course available.

While TWR’s primary role is to coordinate welcoming volunteers, we are pleased to be able to offer free English lessons for our Ukrainian guests (with help from Somerset Support Ukraine and Somserset Council). From April 2023 we will be offering classes at the Beginners, Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate levels. If you would like further details of these courses, or if you can volunteer as a Ukrainian translator or interpreter then TWR would love to hear from you. Please contact us on .

Our sister organisation, CHARIS, offers a much wider range of activities and support services for people on the Homes for Ukraine Scheme at their various centres in Somerset, including Taunton Welcome Hub. Diversity Voice offers similar services for those in the Bridgwater area About – Diversity Voice.