TAVISTOCK was ready put its arms around refugees from the Ukrainian war zone today after people and groups queued up to offer the victims somewhere to live.
Town mayor Andy Hutton was among those who was ready to invite a Ukrainain into their homes, in response to a website aimed at helping refugees resettle in West Devon launched by residents Julia Law and Michelle Davis, while churches banded together in a bid to provide a safe haven for entire families who are fleeing the Russian army.
Cllr Hutton praised the efforts of both groups and revealed he had been told up to five families from Ukraine would be arriving in Tavistock.
He said: ‘I am really impressed with the way the community has come together on this and have done it so quickly. That’s why Tavistock is a wonderful place.’
Cllr Hutton was speaking as Tavistock Quakers were working with Tavistock Area Christian Together (TACT) in an attempt to get as many extended Ukrainian families as possible into West Devon.
Tavistock Quakers are organising with Tavistock Area Christian Together (TACT) to invite their congregations to offer a room or two or annex or whatever to receive part of an extended family from Ukraine with the other members of that family housed close by in the same village or neighbourhood.
Neil Jameson, spokesman for the Quakers, who lives in Walkhampton, said already six neighbours have offered beds and accommodation for eight people.
He said: ‘In Tavistock, TACT leaders are asking their congregations to consider doing the same and I know that five families from the Methodist Church have offered beds/rooms, while Kings Church, led by David Palmer are also keen on the project.
Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Assumption has a house that might be made available and Tavistock Quakers have offered six beds in two properties nearby each other.
TACT members and friends are meeting at the the Methodist Church today at 2pm to coordinate offers that will have been made during the week and plan ahead.
The Anglican Archdeacon of Plymouth Venerable Nick Shutt is himself offering accommodation in Walkhampton, but also organising the Exeter Diocese to help and support more than 50 Ukrainian families to settle across the county.
Mr Jameson said: ‘We are keen to make the principle of extended families are especially welcome and appeal to Devon’s villages and hamlets to consider the same strategy of offering beds and hospitality to whole families who may be dotted around the village but still close to their loved ones.’
He added: ‘Ideally, for instance, we would be looking at getting several properties which are offering perhaps a single room so that members of the same family are on the same street.
‘It’s much better housing an extended family, so that they are not continually worrying about other relatives that may have been left behind.’
One of the people who set up the Tavistock and Ukrainian Friends social media page, Julia Law, said she had set it up with Michelle Davis as recently as last Wednesday.
She said: ‘We didn’t know each other before, but simultaneously had the thought of putting all events and so on in a central place.’
The website - https://www.facebook.com/groups/663158048236790/?ref=share_group_link - has been bombarded with offers of help, with people offering rooms and other facilities to help refugees. Ukrainain language translators have offered their services to the group, with other residents in nearby villages such as Bere Alston wanting to get involved.
The page describes itself as: ‘A notice board group to centralise information for people in Tavistock and surrounding areas who are opening their homes and hearts to our Ukrainian friends and for our Ukrainian friends to communicate with everyone.’
Cllr Hutton said: ‘I think people wanted to do something to help. If it was my daughter and two children in a similar situation, you would hope that somebody would want to help them. I don’t know how long it will take, but I would suspect that it will not be too long before we get some Ukrainian families in Tavistock.’