The weekly newsletter dated March 11 from Rye Team Ministry contains information about local efforts to help Ukrainian refugees:
The Home Office is working to launch a Humanitarian Sponsorship scheme that
will be the main route for Ukrainian refugees to gain entry to the UK. St Mary’s church has registered to be first in line to help, and we have done this through the Sanctuary Foundation, which was launched last weekend. Bishop Martin Warner of Chichester, Bishop William Hazlewood and Ruth Bushyager of Horsham have each registered as individuals, and this is open to churches, business and schools too as well as individuals. It is not a scheme to house refugees – that will be the government’s responsibility. It is about being willing to be the Community Sponsor for a refugee family; e.g. to meet them at the airport, befriend them, and help them access services and support as they settle in or near our parish. It takes seconds to register, and you can do so here.
It is recommended that donations be sent to one of the larger aid agencies such as the the Disaster Emergency Committee or the Red Cross which have the resources and infrastructure to provide the right aid to the right place.
Alongside this are other initiatives for providing aid as mentioned elsewhere in Rye News. Also there will be a collection at St Mary’s community hall, Udimore on Friday March 25 between 2pm and 7pm, for Ukrainian families staying in Poland. Useful products and care items of various kinds are urgently needed. For further information contact Marzena on 07427 039572.
Image Credits: Dr Fanny Baldwin , Kenneth Bird .