Support for Tatyana and her children

On 3 March, my stepdaughter, Tatyana Shevchenko and her two children, Varya and Vanya, left behind their husband and father and their home in Poltava, Ukraine, and fled to Germany.

They have now been granted visas to enter the UK and should arrive this week to stay with me and my children until such time as it is safe to return to Ukraine. There is no way of knowing if this will be in a month, a year, or even longer.

They fled Ukraine with one rucksack of possessions. They have nothing.

Tatyana is a strong and staunchly independent young woman. I know that being wholly dependent on me and my family will be very difficult for her.

If - with your generosity - we could raise funds that would be entirely hers, I hope this would go some way to helping her feel like she has control over at least some aspects of her life.

Thank you for your support.