Last week I predicted that when the Government announced its new sponsorship scheme for Ukrainian refugees that there would be no shortage of welcoming homes from Brits. Low and behold within hours of going live the Government website had received over 22,000 offers of homes and by the time you read this I am sure it will have risen to a multiple of that.
The Government has said that it is an uncapped scheme. I have asked for further clarification about whether families who only have spare rooms for part of the year, with young people away at university for example, can share responsibility with another home under the scheme. I have also asked about how local businesses can sponsor job placements for Ukrainians as I know some local hospitality venues are keen to do and will need to match up accommodation with venues.
As the answer to these questions and more details of the various support schemes become available, I will continue to update my Facebook page and website. You can find lots of other information there too including how best to give aid and not clog up the infrastructure in Poland. If you have bulky clothes, bedding, toys and such like you are probably best waiting to give them to Ukrainian families once they arrive in the UK.
From the sublime to the ridiculous Adur Council Leader Neil Parkin and I paid a visit to the Ropetackle Pumping Station following the series of ‘Sewage Summits’ we have been holding. The old brick pumping station was the only building left standing when the Ropetackle site was cleared twenty years ago to become the development it is today. Incredibly for such a small structure it is the main destination for wastewater and sewage from over 13,000 homes in the Shoreham area before heading east to the wastewater treatment plant.
Four very hefty pumps deal with everything thrown at them and have been renewed in recent years ready to deal with a lot more if needed. I don’t envy the job of the operative who has to climb down into the tanks to remove blockages usually caused by things like wet wipes, so have a heart, don’t put them down the loo! Despite this the number of times the system has failed is minimal which is why the slick on the River Adur reported last October was fortunately a rare occurrence.
