Hilary, a retired headteacher, lives in a small village in Northamptonshire. When the war in Ukraine started, she began thinking about hosting for the first time and soon welcomed two Ukrainian guests who are still living with her today. We spoke to Hilary and one of her guests about anxieties around hosting, life in a small village, and the importance of finding things to celebrate.

“I had some worries before hosting and it was a bit of a leap of faith,” said Hilary.

“I’d lived alone for 14 years, and my main concern was how I’d be able to share my space with other people. I was used to doing what I liked, when I liked, how I liked, but I was committed to hosting because I thought it was an important thing to do.”

Hilary signed up to host with us and we matched her with Alina and Ihor, a Ukrainian couple who were temporarily living in Germany. In the month it took them to get to the UK, they got to know each other over WhatsApp but when it came to meeting in person, Hilary was understandably anxious.

“On the day that I went to meet them at Milton Keynes coach station I drove with a little bit of trepidation – I was thinking ‘oh gosh, is this going to work? Will they like me or take one look and want to run a mile?’”

Fortunately, she had nothing to worry about – they soon became firm friends, and Hilary considers hosting to be one of the best things she’s ever done.

For Ihor, the placement couldn’t have been better: “We’re happy and feel lucky to live in the village. It’s beautiful and there are lots of nice people who are interested to know who we are.

“It’s all based on respect and communication. We have our own space if we need it, but we can also spend a lot of time together. We share food, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, and understand each other.

“Hilary is always asking how she can help us and if we ever need any advice we can ask her – she’s never said no.”

With the whole village curious about their arrival, the couple have been happy to share their story; speaking about Ukraine at a local women’s group and organising charity events. Six months after their arrival they were even joined by Oleana, another guest from Ukraine and one of Alina’s close friends.

All three are now working full time, and Ihor’s skills as a handyman are legendary across the village.

“It’s like having a big family,” said Hilary. “We laugh a lot, and we share a lot too. We’re quite open with each other and I think that’s important.

“I have enormous respect for the three of them – they’ve coped incredibly well with what must be a difficult period and a very worrying time, but despite all this we find things to celebrate.”

One such celebration happened last summer when Alina and Ihor got married in Cornwall. Some of Hilary’s friends helped with photography and flower arranging, and despite the war, Alina’s mother and sister were able visit from Ukraine.

Ihor said: “I had some difficulty getting the right documents, but the wedding itself was like a miracle. It’s difficult to believe, but the weather was perfect that day!”

With the placement and the war in Ukraine both in their third year, Ihor’s experience in the UK has helped strengthen his belief in the power of community: “Three years ago we’d never met but now we’re living like family. We need to help each other because we are all living on the same planet. We are all human.”

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