Peterborough law firm launches campaign to help reunite families stranded and displaced by war in Ukraine as employee fears for her own family caught up in conflict

Lawson Hunte, based at the Eco Innovation Centre on City Road, are offering free pro bono applications to anyone who has Ukrainian national members of their family who have become stranded or displaced because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The nationwide initiative was instigated by company secretary Ms Natalia Usatenko, who is a British national originally from Ukraine, and fears for the safety of her family back home.

Ms Usatenko approached Lawson Hunte management requesting help with her own family, who are stranded a couple of miles from the city of Cherkasy in central Ukraine - 124 miles south of the nation’s capital, Kyiv.

The UK Government’s Home Secretary announced ‘phase two of the UK’s bespoke humanitarian support package for the people of Ukraine’ earlier this week. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that one million people have fled Ukraine and millions more are expected to flee the country if the war continues.

Ms Usatenko was going to travel to Europe to interpret for families who need support with paper applications that are available in the British Embassies. Lawson Hunte is now assisting Ms Usatenko and the people of Ukraine to make applications that support the reunification of families affected by the conflict.

“I was prepared to travel to the bordering countries to act as an interpreter,” she said. “It has now been announced that application forms will be available online and this is why we are offering free help to fill out applications online and I will be working as a translator and advisor.”

Ms Usatenko is one of three sisters and moved to the UK from Ukraine 26 years ago. Her youngest sister and two nieces, aged only four and six years old, are hoping to flee the country but her mother and other sister have decided to stay.

“My youngest sister is going to flee with my two nieces because she is young and not afraid to go to another country,” she said. “The other said, ‘Natalie, I am going to stay and defend my country - I want to defend my home.'

“My mother said to me, ‘I’m too old to run - I want to die in my own house and in my own land’. There is no way I can persuade her. I have tried every day to persuade her to leave with my youngest sister, but she doesn’t want to leave. I’m on the brink of losing my mum if it continues because she will be there on her own.”

“My youngest sister is currently still in Ukraine because the situation with transport is awful. Nothing is working other than trains and even they are not running on a regular basis. People are sitting on platforms with small children waiting sometimes for days for a train to arrive at the station.”

“She has managed to book tickets for a train. She said that she made sure she had a valid ticket with valid seat numbers because it is an overnight train and she wanted to ensure her daughters have somewhere to sleep. There is no way they can stand all night - they are too young.”

Ms Usatenko also fears for her friends who are unable to leave the country.

“Many of my friends who live in different cities, especially in Kyiv, have said they can’t even get their relatives out because it is surrounded by the military. There is no way anybody can flee because they are not allowed to leave.

“There is a shortage a food and because the people are constantly being bombed they have to take refuge in the shelters, like the underground station.”

Lawson Hunte maintains the project is not politically motivated but is aimed only to alleviate human suffering and take positive action to support the local and wider community amid a humanitarian crisis.

The company is reaching out for support with the initiative. They are hoping to recruit volunteers with language skills in Ukrainian and Russian and administrative support.

If you are interested in volunteering to support Lawson Hunte with the campaign contact Sonya on 01733 793869 or Natalia on 01733 515892.

If you require help regarding a family member, a family based application related to displacement or a listening ear, contact Lawson Hunte on 01733 515892.