U K R A I N E S U P P O R T G R O U P
Ukraine Support Group for Fletching, Piltdown and Sheffield Park
We thought it would be a good idea to share with everyone how the Ukrainian Support Group is developing and to put out a call for anyone who is interested in getting involved in whatever way they can.
This is the second mailing from the group just to keep you all up to date.
We've had a wonderful response to our call for support for Ukrainian refugees who might come to Fletching, Piltdown and Sheffield Park. Thank you to everyone who has got in touch offering help in all sorts of varied ways. It is not too late to sign up so please get in touch if you’d like to get involved.
The issuing of visas is still an extremely slow process, and we have several groups who are in the system and are waiting for final approval to come here. The good news is that two families have been successful and will be arriving shortly. We will give them a chance to settle in and then will get in touch to see how we can best support them.
Evidence seems to be showing that of those applying to come to East Sussex, most are wanting to be in the larger towns on the coast. However, Toby Illingworth, the Wealden councillor for Buxted, is doing great work on the ground in Ukraine promoting the benefits of settling in rural Wealden, so we have high hopes that a few more families will be arriving soon.
We’ll keep you updated as soon as we have any news.
Kate Minch (Chair) on kateminch1@gmail.com
David Knight on fletching.vicar@gmail.com
Peter Roundell
Gabby Paterson-Griggs 29 April 2022
At the moment, we have six families who have let us know that they are willing and able to host Ukrainians, which is fantastic. We would love to have a few more volunteers for this. This link may be helpful if you are thinking about hosting https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKESCC/bulletins/3128eed
Understandably hosting is not for everyone but there are plenty of other ways in which we are hoping that we can get involved as a village. If and when we have any refugees in the village, we really want to make sure that they (and their hosts) feel supported. Our thoughts are that additional help could include things like:
- “TLC” days which could include coach outings, sports activities, BBQs, Ukrainian cooking lessons -
all ideas gratefully received!
- Financial contributions - obviously all this will come with a cost.
- Driving - while the hosts will largely be responsible for sorting out travel there will always be times
when this might not be possible so a pool of drivers would be extremely helpful.
- Help needed for the possible use of the village hall as a “drop in” centre.
We are in touch with other villages who are going to be receiving refugees, and hoping to be able to link up with them, so we are not all inventing our own wheel. We have already linked up with Toby Illingworth who is a local councillor in Buxted. He has set up the Buxted Refugee Programme and, to make organisation around hosting easier, we have decided to join with this bigger organisation. Toby has been in Poland setting up contacts locally to assist any Ukrainians who want to come to the UK. He has so far managed to pair up several Ukrainians with people in the programme and is hoping for many more.
The Parish Council is fully supportive of all efforts to support refugees
and will help in any way possible.
All offers however large or small will be extremely welcome!
If you have any questions, please get in touch with either David or Kate.
Further updates will be coming!
David Knight on fletching.vicar@gmail.com
Kate Minch on kateminch1@gmail.com
N E W S F R O M E A S T S U S S E X C O U N C I L - U K R A I N E C R I S I S
There's a great effort going on across East Sussex to help refugees.
Thank you to all who are part of it.
Find out more from
East Sussex County Council at