We're in it for long haul, hosts tell Ukrainians

A couple from Grantham who have been hosting a Ukrainian family since the Russian invasion have assured them they are "in it for the long haul".

Ingrid Lyon and her husband Richard became hosts to Oksana, her daughter Polina and their cat Fiona, five months after war broke out in Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

The Ukrainian family fled to the UK to seek refuge and the Lyons have pledged they "can stay as long as they need us".

Mrs Lyon, whose mother was a refugee from Indonesia, and her husband are among 62 British hosts in Lincolnshire who have continued to provide accommodation to the same Ukrainian guests since the Homes for Ukraine scheme was launched in March 2022, according to the government.

More than 1,600 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Lincolnshire as part of the government scheme.

Oksana and her daughter, along with their cat, arrived at the Grantham hosts' home in July 2022 following a five-month stay in Poland.

"Right from the word go we hit it off, " said Mrs Lyon.

"We made friends and they love our animals - three Labradors. They're very much part of the family."

For Oksana, life in the UK is bittersweet as she fears for the safety of the rest of her family in Ukraine, but she is thankful her daughter now has a better future.

"I read the news every day and I'm anxious, I worry about my family.

"My life is broken. It's destroyed," she said.

Her daughter Polina, who is 17 and studying for her A Levels, described the UK as "my second home where I can build a future" and is thankful she can realise her ambitions of going to university.

"My Ukrainian classmates can't have a proper education because of the sirens or no electricity."

The teenager said she had no plans to return to Ukraine to live.

"All my memories and friends are in Ukraine. But my second home where I have my future is here," Polina said.

Mrs Lyon, who has four grandchildren, described her long-term guests as an extension of her own family.

"When we became hosts we decided we were in it for the long haul," she said.

"Polina and Oksana have become part of the family."

Mrs Lyon said she understood the challenges faced by refugees because of her mother's experience.

In 1947, Ingrid's mother, Mary Meijer, along with Mary's Dutch parents and her brother, were forced to leave their home in Indonesia after an uprising.

Ms Meijer's parents, who were Missionary Salvation Army officers, had been running a leper colony in the jungle.

On arrival in the UK, Ms Meijer, who became known as Mrs Selby, spoke no English and struggled to find work but later trained to work as a secretary, Mrs Lyon said.

She said her 94-year-old mother "felt really strongly that the Ukrainian refugees needed more support than just six months".

Her mother, who had been looking forward to meeting the Ukrainian guests, died two weeks before their arrival.

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