By Simon Brodie

The people of Orkney are stepping up to the plate and once again proving how kind and compassionate they are. With the terrible war going on in Ukraine, tens of thousands of refugees have fled their home and are looking to settle in safety in the UK. Some of them are looking to relocate to Orkney, but to achieve that, they need host families and a supportive and understanding network.

For those interested in hosting our Ukrainian guests there is lots of information available (please see the links at the bottom of this article) and we already have an active and wonderfully helpful Orkney network on Facebook, called the Orkney Ukrainian Hosts Support Group, which you can apply to join for further information and advice.

The group includes existing hosts, those applying to be hosts, representatives from the local Ukrainian community, local volunteers, and members of relevant organisations such as Voluntary Action Orkney, The Pickaquoy Centre, AbilityNet, and Orkney Islands Council. The group is also planning to hold a roadshow soon, and there will be more details of the group and the roadshow on Radio Orkney and local media sources over the next few weeks.

There’s more information about hosting here:

www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/info-for-ukraine-hosts-in-scotlandwww.orkney.gov.uk/News?postid=5669