Basingstoke borough council hosts advice event for refugees

On Thursday, October 27, the event saw both refugees and hosts visit the borough council's offices.

The event came at the end of the six months of sponsored homing for Ukrainian refugees.

It featured services from across the borough to give information about the support they can both refugees and their hosts, including Basingstoke Foodbank, Hampshire Constabulary and Basingstoke Discovery Centre.

The event took place at Basingstoke and Deane Civic Offices (Image: Newsquest)A representative from the NHS was also present, giving information leaflets in both Russian and Ukrainian about the NHS, maternity care, Covid-19 and the Red Cross.

READ MORE: Ukrainian refugees facing homelessness amid cost-of-living crisis

There was also information on how to apply for jobs, how to report a crime to the police and about social groups across the borough that the refugees could join.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council leader Cllr Simon Bound said: “For us, it’s about what do guests and hosts need once they’ve been here for a bit.

“What are those challenges?”

The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Cllr Paul Miller was also present at the event.

Groups from across the borough were present at the event (Image: Newsquest)Speaking about the event, he said: “All the participants in this event today are being able to offer help to anybody who comes in.

“I think the message that I’d like to push is that they’re available at any time. So, it’s not just today, there is help out there.

“Some help by providing physical help, like the foodbank, advice from the NHS to gain primary care, but also if they feel they are in trouble or feel they are unsafe we have the police as well.”

Ukrainian refugees Astrid Kondratenko and Olena Molodtsova, who have been in Basingstoke for four and five months respectively, said that they found the event useful.

Olena Molodrsova (left) and Astrid Kondratenko (right) (Image: Newsquest)SEE ALSO: Storage company launches Christmas appeal in aid of St Michael's Hospice

Astrid said: “It’s very useful because so many people are here, and they all want to help Ukrainian refugees.

“It’s very impressive.”

Olena agreed: “You can speak to a lot of people from different spheres.

“It’s quite difficult usually to find necessary information from Google or something like that, but this event gives this opportunity to speak with all these departments.

“So, it was a great idea.”