Become one of Buckinghamshire’s Ukraine Rematching Sponsors – we're with you every step of the way!

Buckinghamshire Council is calling for more people to sponsor Ukrainian guests becoming ‘Rematching Sponsors’, to provide a temporary home for local Ukrainian individuals and families who are moving out of their initial accommodation.

While many existing sponsors are happy to carry on hosting people from Ukraine, for some it isn’t feasible to continue sharing their home – which is why there is an immediate need to encourage and support people to register their interest in becoming Rematching Sponsors. Rematching is vitally important as it can offer guests the opportunity to stay in the same community they have already settled in.

Staying with a Rematching Sponsor helps families avoid temporary accommodation, which normally means moving to a different area and causes disruption to social connections and family life. Paul, a Buckinghamshire resident and widower for the past three years, recently stepped forward to rehost a young Ukrainian family. This rematching enabled Sofiia (daughter) to complete her education at a local secondary school, and also allowed Artemii (son) to stay at his local primary school where he is already taking well to learning the English language and is starting to speak in full sentences.

Paul commented:

“I took in a Ukrainian family a year ago and have never looked back – no regrets whatsoever. We all get on very well, like one big happy family and the whole experience has enriched all our lives. I have not only gained an extended family but also lifelong friends.”

Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council, said:

“The generosity of Buckinghamshire residents to support the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, set up in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has been invaluable. Local support has now reached more than 1,000 sponsors who have welcomed over 1,700 Ukrainian guests, providing not just accommodation, but a warm welcome, a network of support and help with settling into the UK.

“We’re dedicated to supporting our arriving guests and all our sponsors through every step of the transition process. From providing home visits and safeguarding checks to administering sponsor thank you payments and offering additional support through our Sponsor Liaison Officers – we’re committed to making this process as smooth as possible.

“Sponsorship agreements can be flexible in duration. If you feel committing to a sponsorship for six months is too much, but you would still like to help, please consider becoming an Emergency or Temporary Sponsor. Emergency or Temporary Sponsors can host individual guests or guest families in their household for a short amount of time while an alternative solution is found. This short-term fix can prevent unnecessary stays in hotels, potentially many miles from where they are living today, and support already vulnerable children to stay at their current school, keeping friends they have made.”

Find out more about how to become a Rematching Sponsor, providing a local, welcoming and safe space by offering to share your home at www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/ukraine-rematch. Alternatively, to talk to one of the council’s dedicated Ukraine support team about becoming a Rematching, Emergency or Temporary Sponsor email[email protected]