Grassroots networks across Suffolk are working to find homes for Ukrainian refugees, but they say the government is letting them down.
Within days of its announcement, more than 150,000 people in the UK had signed up for the Homes for Ukraine scheme offering people fleeing the Russian invasion a place to stay.
People in the UK register with the scheme and can immediately sponsor a Ukrainian they know, or they can record their interest to later be matched with a refugee.
The government minister for refugees, Lord Harrington, said more than 20,000 people fleeing war in Ukraine had applied to come to the UK under the scheme but declined to say how many had arrived in the country.
A government spokeswoman was unable to say how many people in Suffolk had signed up to the scheme, stating that more data would be released later this week.
Kim Balshaw is a retired RAF wing commander who worked with NATO in Afghanistan and specialised in crisis planning in war zones.
Now he is using Facebook and a network of churches and missionaries throughout Europe to match Ukrainian refugees with sponsors in Felixstowe.
He said: "I just tear my hair out at what I'm seeing. Some of this is so easy, but it's not happening. It drives me mad."
So far, he has matched 30 refugees with eight sponsors in Felixstowe but says more homes could easily be found if data from the Homes for Ukraine scheme was shared to match more sponsors with refugees.
He said: "They've got the data. Somewhere in government, they know where the sponsors are.
"Why hasn't the council got it? Why doesn't the council know where the sponsors are and get in contact with them and corral them.
"And then, you know, I'd be perfectly willing down here to take all the IP11 sponsors and do the work for them, because they wouldn't have the manpower to do this all themselves."
In Debenham, villagers say they are able to welcome 50 refugees but none have yet arrived.
John Sweet, 72, helped to organise a public meeting after the response to a Facebook post revealed how many people in the village were keen to welcome refugees.
He said: "The government is dragging its heels.
"I've sent an email to Dan Poulter saying we've got 50 beds here, but nobody to fill them yet.
"We need to mobilise and get people here and then sort out bits of paper."
A spokeswoman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which is overseeing the Homes for Ukraine scheme, did not answer questions from this newspaper – instead referring us to a government webpage.
The webpage reads: "People or organisations wanting to be sponsors who do not have a named individual to sponsor can record their interest in being a sponsor. They will then be kept updated as the scheme develops.
"We know our charities, faith groups, universities, businesses and industry representative bodies will have extensive networks with communities and individuals across Europe.
"We will be working closely with all of them to ensure people who want to help are matched to people from Ukraine – such as through a charity or social media. We will provide further detail on the support they are able to provide shortly."
A spokeswoman for Suffolk County Council said the council was still awaiting more information from the government and did not know how many refugees the county should expect in total.
Councillor Bobby Bennett, cabinet member for equality and communities, said: “We are conscious of the plight of Ukrainian refugees and want to do all we can to ensure that their arrival into Suffolk goes as smoothly as possible.
“Whilst we await further Government guidance about the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Suffolk, Suffolk’s Ukraine Task Group is already considering how best to meet the refugees’ health and wellbeing needs, what assistance can be provided with school admissions, and how we can offer support to help with integration and ESOL (English for speakers of other languages), particularly if there are lots of people arriving in dispersed, rural locations.
“We know that many of you will be interested in supporting the government initiative to bring Ukrainian refugees to the UK to stay in people’s own homes or other properties that you are able to offer and I would encourage those who are interested in offering accommodation to sign up via the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
"We recognise that host households are keen for all the necessary checks to be completed. We are working at pace to put the necessary processes in place.”
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