As a Borough of Sanctuary, we are taking a proactive approach to welcoming Ukrainian refugees, working in partnership with local residents and community groups.

Homes for Ukraine

In response to the war in Ukraine, the UK Government has launched their Homes for Ukraine scheme, which allows residents to provide spare rooms and unoccupied residential units for use by Ukrainian refugees.

Individual sponsors will be asked to provide homes or a spare room rent-free for as long as they are able, with a minimum stay of six months. In return, they will receive £350 per month.

You can register your interest as an individual or community organisation on the Government’s Homes for Ukraine website.

Those who have a named Ukrainian person they wish to sponsor should contact them directly and fill in a visa application via the Government’s website.

Once a confirmed match is made between a sponsor and their Ukrainian guest(s), we will be in touch with the sponsor to provide more information and carry out DBS checks and a home assessment. We will look to complete this process as quickly as possible to ensure hosts can receive their Ukrainian guests without delay.

Further guidance or information from the Government on the Homes for the Ukraine scheme is available here.

We have established a support service through the Refugee Council to support those arriving through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, as well as a dedicated web page with information for Ukrainian arrivals in Lewisham.

Ukraine Family Scheme

If you want to bring a close family member(s) from Ukraine to the UK, you can also choose the Ukraine Family Scheme visa. This may mean you and your family member(s) cannot access the financial support available through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. We are awaiting clarification from the Government on the support available through the Ukraine Family Scheme.

Further information about the Ukraine Family Scheme is available on the Government’s website.

Community support

We know many local residents and community groups are keen to offer their support to Ukrainian refugees arriving in Lewisham, including offers of donations and translation services.

We are working with the Lewisham Migrant and Refugee Network (LRMN) to coordinate these offers of support. If you would like to offer support please contact LRMN via their website or email them at communitycoordinator@lrmn.org.uk.