Iain Butterworth said he is hoping to house a number of Ukrainian refugees at his property in Scarborough
A kind Scarborough lawyer who said he felt “helpless” watching the news of the Ukraine war has decided to house 12 refugees.
Iain Butterworth was initially going to rent out an empty property he owns to make some money but thought he could use it to help others instead.
“I felt pretty helpless watching the news, even in the early days, it came as a bit of a shock to me,” said the 52-year-old.
“I’d actually just moved from that property and intended to rent it out to earn some money from it but thought ‘do I really need to make profit from that house in a time like this?'”
Mr Butterworth has worked with a number of clients in the Ukraine and also has friends there who he has been in touch with since the start of the conflict.
“I’ve now got two families who have successfully been accepted for the Ukraine visa scheme. One family has recently left and is now in Greece, one family is now in Poland,” said Mr Butterworth. “These individuals left Ukraine with the clothes on their back and a small suitcase.”
Mr Butterworth is now hoping for some support from the community in order to get the property, which can house at least 12 people, ready for the families. A fundraiser set up last week aims to help cover the cost of small repairs, essential furniture as well as utility bills once the families have moved in.
“I just had the carpet fitter pricing me for a new carpet, it needs furniture and a look at electrics to make sure everything is right,” said Mr Butterworth. “I put an optimistic £1,000 limit, I just thought I’d start small and see what happens.”
Donations such as food, clothes, toiletries, bedding and cooking utensils would also be gratefully received. Anything that somebody fleeing a warzone would need to survive on a daily basis,” said Mr Butterworth. “Even emotional support or travel support [would be welcome].”
Source Yorkshire Live
