Informing, integrating and celebrating successful journeys
USPUK, a small nimble and entrepreneurial charity initially formed in March 2022 to support Ukrainians looking for sanctuary under the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, is dedicated to advising and assisting displaced individuals as they embark on their new lives in the UK.
“We have more in common than that which divides us” - Jo Cox
Ukrainian Sponsorship Project
We support displaced Ukrainians to find safe homes in the UK under the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme. We were awarded ‘Recognised Provider’ status by the UK Government, which enables us to find and recruit UK hosts and match them with displaced Ukrainians under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Our team of consultants provides information and guidance to displaced Ukrainians, identifies and vets prospective sponsors, ‘matches’ guests to hosts and assists them in applying for their visas and journeying to the UK.
Afghan Resettlement Project
Led by our team of Afghans with lived experience and launched in June 2023, this project provides resettlement support to Afghans who have come to the UK on the ACRS and ARAP pathways. We recently conducted a survey to understand the main concerns of and challenges facing Afghans who currently remain in temporary hotel accommodation in the UK. We have used the results of this survey as the basis for our approach to the resettlement project, and we continue to do so. USPUK is now actively working with the Afghan cohort to find viable solutions for sustainable living in the UK.
Working with communities to support displaced people rebuilding their lives in the UK
USPUK is dedicated to advising and assisting displaced individuals as they embark on their new lives in the UK. Through guidance, support, and the building of empowering networks, we seek to help these individuals not just survive but thrive, integrate and flourish in unique and meaningful ways.
1000+
Ukrainians provided with host families in the UK
30,312
Afghan and Ukrainian individuals represented
800
Monthly consultations for displaced people
Our Key Objectives
We established three central objectives as a focus for our work: to inform, integrate and communicate with displaced communities of Ukrainians and Afghans.
Inform
We aim to bridge information gaps between displaced peoples and life in the UK, focusing on essential needs and piloting innovative solutions for housing and employment. We utilise a variety of online and offline platforms to provide this crucial information to displaced communities.
Communicate
We have designed our communications strategies to amplify the voices of displaced communities, sharing stories of success and celebration and raising awareness of ongoing challenges.
Integrate
We offer comprehensive support to displaced individuals, from guidance on visa applications and employment opportunities to our Ukrainian Sponsorship Project, aiming to foster meaningful integration that is a vital component of both lives and livelihoods.
Our Journey
2022
USPUK’s founders established the organisation as a means of providing more effective information to Ukrainians fleeing the war about relocating to the UK under the newly established Homes for Ukraine scheme. USPUK obtained charitable status and assembled a team of 10+ Ukrainian women with lived experience to guide displaced Ukrainians through the visa process.
We established 'consultation desks' in refugee centres in Krakow and Warsaw. We began working with Citizens UK and a range of other organisations.
2023
Our partnership with Citizens UK and Communities for Ukraine facilitated the direct resettlement of 1000 Ukrainian families into UK host homes. USPUK established its own Ukrainian Sponsorship Project to identify, process and match UK-based sponsors with displaced Ukrainians.
We set up a support hub in Lviv, Ukraine, expanding its reach. USPUK launched its Afghan Resettlement Project, collaborating with More in Common to survey Afghans in temporary hotel accommodation to assess community needs.
2024
A central UK team was formed, including Ukrainian and Afghan members with lived experience of coming to the UK as displaced people. This helped to solidify USPUK's mission to advise and assist those displaced by catastrophe who are starting their new lives in the UK. USPUK continues to create and distribute crucial resources, actively partnering with other organisations to facilitate integration, including housing and employment opportunities.
Please consider donating today
Your gift can help someone forced to flee their home due to conflict or persecution.
