The We Love MCR charity has launched a Manchester Ukraine Welcome Fund this week, in a bid to help fleeing refugees safely relocate to Manchester. Helping to raise funds for the ‘frontline groups providing evacuees with the vital support they need’, the Manchester Ukraine Welcome Fund will donate to the organisations that are working tirelessly to help arrivals settle in – with Europia and Caritas Diocese of Salford, alongside other charitable organisations on the list of beneficiaries.
A number of Ukrainian refugees are being welcomed into the city by kind residents who have offered up rooms in their homes, as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme that launched just a matter of weeks ago. The first phase of the scheme was met with an incredible number of people offering a helping hand, allowing refugees to legally live and work in the UK for up to three years, as well as access vital healthcare, education and employment support.
Getting off to a good start today, the fund has already raised over £50,000, with Manchester City Council providing a huge donation to kick things off.
Council leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “No one watching the horrific scenes unfolding in Ukraine following the Russian invasion can fail to be moved by the plight of the Ukrainian people. Manchester stands in solidarity with them and we are ready to play our part, together with towns and cities across Europe, in welcoming evacuees escaping the conflict and the humanitarian disaster it is creating.
“While some people will even be opening their homes to arriving Ukrainians, we know not everyone is in a position to do that. But by donating to this fund you can show you care by helping to provide practical help and support right here in Manchester to those escaping danger and starting to rebuild their lives.”
To find out more about the fund and to donate, head to the JustGiving page here.