A GROUP of residents at Corringham's Langland Close sheltered housing complex have been busy with their knitting needles to create 'trauma teddies' to help children from the Ukraine.

The residents, supported by local housing officer Joanne wanted to something practical to help the people of Ukraine after the conflict there broke out.

Joanne has contacted a local charity in Stanford-le-Hope that has a contact for Care4Calais. The teddies were collected last week and will either be given to local asylum seekers and/or children arriving in London hotels as temporary accommodation when they arrive in the UK. 

Ukraine flag flying at the Civic Offices, Grays

The teddies have been knitted in a range of colours, including the Ukrainian flag.

Thurrock Council has been helping to deliver the the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. Under this scheme, British sponsors are invited to come forward and help provide accommodation to Ukrainian nationals. Families including adults and children, in some cases with pets, have been arriving in the borough. 

The HMO Licensing Team at the council has been inspecting sponsors' properties before their guests arrive to ensure these are free from serious health and safety hazards. As well as accommodation checks, DBS checks have been carried out on all adult members in the sponsor's household to safeguard Ukrainian guests. 

The Well Homes Team is providing resettlement support to Ukrainian adults and their families to ensure they have access to welfare benefits, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses, schools' admissions, GP registration, can open a bank account and help to take up employment.

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As of 17 May 2022, the council has had 48 sponsors come forward and have seen requests from 108 Ukrainian guests, 41 of which are children.

Members of our Assets, Repairs and Compliance Team have been working with our heating and compliance contractor, Aaron Services, who have offered and provided free gas safety checks for residents in Thurrock taking part in the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.