"They're not just friends - they're family"

Kat Reynolds opened her home to Valya Kandaurova, her son Daniel and sister Katya after they fled Ukraine in March, sparking a lifelong friendship

- By Punteha Van Terheyden

Κat Reynolds lives in Lymm, Cheshire, with her daughter Gabi, 12, and partner Paul. When the government announced the Homes for Ukraine scheme, she had to get involved.

"The thought of children like Gabi being displaced from their home and forced to leave their friends and family behind was sad. We wanted to help," Kat says.

After reading about the eligibility requirements online, Kat contacted a Ukrainian family via Facebook. Valentyna Kandaurova (Valya), 26, along with her son Daniel, three, and sister Kateryna (Katya), 21, had fled Kyiv and were in temporary accommodation in Bulgaria. Kat and Valya chatted at length and filled in the lengthy applications before the trio's visas were approved a month later. They arrived in April 2022, leaving Valya's parents, grandparents, and husband Olexandr in Ukraine.

Kat says, "We were nervous because our lives were about to change, but it's one of the best things we've ever done. They're no longer guests but family."

Kat's kitchen became the perfect place to get to know one another. "It was Gabi's birthday the day the family arrived, and we shared it, using Google Translate on our phones to chat." Kat cooked for everyone, giving the family time to settle. "We chatted later about a routine, and agreed to split the cooking duties between our families."

On Daniel's third birthday, Valya wanted to make a recipe from a baker friend back home but had never baked a cake. "Valya, Katya, Gabi, and I spent hours making the sponge. It was lighter than our usual recipe, and I loved learning a different technique."