AROUND 90 homes in Dorset have offered to open their doors for Ukraine refugees through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Dorset Council said that it does not know how many refugees are expected to arrive in Dorset but is aware of enquiries from 150 Ukrainian guests.

“Dorset Together partnership is working together and as quickly as we can with the information we have and the systems put in place by Government – we all need to be patient with the system as it develops and improves,” said a spokesman.

Government guidance says that all those who have offered to host will need to have personal checks to ensure they are suitable and checks will also have to be made on their homes, including being able to produce a gas safety certificate. 

Those hosting adults will need a basic disclosure and barring check, which looks at previous convictions, with an enhanced check needed for those hosting children and vulnerable adults. Anyone in the host property over the age of 16 will need to have a check in addition to other adults.

To date, more than 100 Syrian and Afghan refugees have been resettled in Dorset under the national government schemes

General enquiries about hosting can be made to Dorset Council Customer Services on 01305 221000 or customerservices@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.  

More information on requirements and checks is available on the website: Refugee resettlement in Dorset - Dorset Council.

For information on support available to Ukrainian individuals/families visit Help and Kindness website (www.helpandkindness.co.uk/support-for-ukraine).

To offer support, please contact Volunteer Centre Dorset (www.volunteeringdorset.org.uk)  

Meanwhile, in Dorchester a call has gone out for help with a project aimed at refugee children with volunteers needed on April 9 and 10.

The “Packed with Hope” campaign aims to provide children arriving in Romania from Ukraine with a backpack containing a selection of age-appropriate books and other items such as head torches, notepads, pencils, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, hot water bottles, hats and scarfs.

The charity which is backed by two independent UK publishers, Gracie Cooper (Little Toller Books) and Kevin Duffy (Bluemoose Books) and led by former Army officer Alex MacEwen. Organisers will be using the former Dorset Cereals factory at Poundbury to sort items and fill the back packs over the two days.

Around sixty volunteers will be needed on both days.

Those who are willing to help can register their interest for either the whole day, or morning, or afternoon only sessions by emailing volunteer@packedwithhope.org.

Further information, including how to make a donation, is available at - https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/packedwithhopecampaign