HOSTING a Ukrainian family has changed the life of a widowed father from Buckinghamshire.

Opening his large home to mum Hannia and her children Sofia, 17, and four-year-old Artemii was “life changing” for Paul Clarke.

The 69-year-old retired widow and dad with 27 years of experience in the Air Force decided to offer his five-bedroom home in Princes Risborough for the family after seeing the scale of suffering in bombarded Ukrainian towns, but not without careful contemplation at first.

The family fled a dank basement in Cherniv after the town had suffered weeks of shelling and bombardment by Russian forces.

Paul said: “I looked at my circumstances. I’m a widower, I lost my wife two years ago just before the lockdown. The following year I lost my mother. I emptied my house, had a good clear out, and I’m sitting here thinking ‘I’ve got plenty of room for people’.

“I could offer them somewhere safe to stay.”

Because of his air force background, Paul had some understanding of war, and he was shocked by the attacks targeting Ukrainian civilians.

“But I didn’t think it was only for six months, and that’s where a lot of people go wrong. They think it’s six months, and after that the Council or the government will house them. That’s nonsense, we know there’s no housing available!”

He thought through important questions - does he need to put a timescale on the hosting, and what kind of people is he looking for, such as an elderly couple with conditions that come with old age, which he’s used to deal with after looking after his wife.

He also considered his finances, but the increase in costs didn’t make “much difference” to him as he could absorb the impact.

Paul and the family met up a couple of times at first to find out if they were the right fit for each other and to address any concerns – something he suggests all hosts should do first – and address any concerns.

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“Hannia was concerned I was a single man.

“A lot of the Ukrainians are women with children on their own, and that can be a concern, and there have been stories in the press about them being taken advantage of.

“Meeting each other helped a lot.”

Dad Paul also considered what everyday life with a young child would be like again.

“Having brought up my own children I thought ‘do I really want to go back there’,” he laughed.

“He’s a real bundle, he likes me a lot and when he comes from school, he’s asking me to play with him.”

Google Translate and teenager Sofia helped with language at the start, but now they can all converse in English, including young Artemii.

“At first, obviously at first for both them and me it’s like having strangers in the house. You show where things are, and try not to tread on each other’s toes, but that went really quickly.

“We’ve bonded very well, and I just said to Hannia they’re like my family now.

“It’s changed my life. In many ways I’ve gone back in time and I’ve got a family again. I’m going on 69 end of this year, but I don’t feel like it, I feel like I’m still in my thirties!”

His key advise for would-be hosts was to think and talk about boundaries before arrival to avoid frustration and misunderstandings.

“Decide how you want to live with somebody. Do you say ‘this is your room’ and they stay in it, or do you mix? What do you do with food – do you have separate lots and cook separately?

“When they unpacked, I told them treat this as your home.”

After six months as a host, Paul thanked the support from Buckinghamshire Council, including putting hosts in touch with services and charities, such as Ukraine2chilterns charity supporting more than 180 Ukrainians in Princes Risborough area.

For more information about being a sponsor contact Buckinghamshire Council’s refugee welfare team leader Michelle Baragona on 01296 387716 or email michelle.baragona@buckinghamshire.gov.uk