Friends open their homes to 'desperate' sisters fleeing Ukraine
Two Shropshire couples have been busy transforming their homes to accommodate two sisters who were forced to flee the conflict in Ukraine.
Coral Parker and Andy Holland and Tracy and Sebastian Van Mook have set up a fundraising page for the siblings and their children who will be making the long journey from Poland to Shropshire.
Together the Shropshire friends have been creating a safe space for the sisters so they can come-and-go between the two homes in the Longden area of Shrewsbury.
Alona and Zarina have five children between them – Arthur aged three, Nazar aged four, Roslan age six, Maximum aged eight, Diana aged 12 and their family dog.
The sisters had been living in a town called Cherkasy – between Kyiv and Mariupol – up until very recently when they made the 10k trip on foot to get to safety in Krakow.
Very shortly after the family made the trip to Poland, the sisters found out that they had had a lucky escape as the railway lines they travelled up had since been attacked by a missile.
The family stayed in a hotel for three nights before they had to move again and spent a morning on the streets with their belongings until a man drove them 140km out of Krakow to temporary accommodation on a potato farm.
Alona and Zarina's parents remain in Cherkasy and their husbands have stayed to fight for their country – Zarina's husband has now joined the fighting in Mariupol while Alona's husband defends the Mariupol border.
Now, the Shropshire friends have been applying for their visas, making travel arrangements and raising money to help settle the family into life in the county.
Commenting on why they wanted to open their home, Carol and Andy said: "I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for them.
"We’re lucky enough to have the space to give them a safe and secure home in a beautiful location they can call their home until hopefully they can return to their families.
"I’d like to think others would do the same for us if my family was ever in this situation."
Tracy and Sebastian shared a similar view and said: "Our children have recently fled the nest and we've got the space. It was more a question of why not – we can do it."
Looking forward, the couple are hoping to raise enough funds to provide the children with school uniforms, PE kits, clothes and toiletries they will need.
Tracy said that the sisters have been in a constant state of angst with their loved ones remaining in the war zone and have already built a strong relationship with the family.
They have enrolled Alona and Zarina's children into Longden CE Primary School for the younger children and The Mary Webb School for Diana.
Both couples said they are looking forward to welcoming the sisters to Shropshire which could be anytime in the coming weeks.
Already they have been inundated with donations and support from people in the community and have so far raised £3,590 for the sisters.
They keep in contact regularly via messenger, Whatsapp and Facetime calls with the help of translation from Nataliya who fled Ukraine herself and has been in Shrewsbury for a few weeks.
To make a donation to the fundraiser visit gofundme.com/f/two-sisters-5-children-fleeing-ukraine.
