It’s been confirmed this morning that over 89,000 people in the UK have signed-up to open their homes to refugees fleeing war in Ukraine.
The website for the dedicated Homes for Ukraine scheme was officially launched yesterday afternoon, and has reportedly crashed on several occasions as an impressive 1,500 people registered to offer support within just the first hour of it going live, according to Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove.
In an address to the House of Commons this morning, Mr Gove said that the UK had a history of “supporting the most vulnerable during their darkest hours”.
He expressed his hope that many Brits would “open their homes” and accept Ukrainian refugees, adding that this act would help those fleeing persecution to find “peace, healing and the prospect of a brighter future.
Mr Gove said the new scheme would be based on “the enormous goodwill and generosity of the British public”, and said there’d be “no limit” to how many Ukrainians could enter the UK under the scheme.
“This is a huge humanitarian crisis, and we are urging the British public to come forward and help where they can,” Mr Gove said.
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As part of the visa sponsorship scheme, any Ukrainian national or immediate family member of a Ukrainian national, if they were resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January this year, is eligible to enter the country, and they do not need to have existing family ties to the UK.
📣NEW – UK individuals, charities, community groups & businesses can now record their interest in supporting Ukrainians fleeing the war through our new Homes for Ukraine scheme.
— Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (@luhc) March 14, 2022
How does the scheme work?
The scheme offers a route to those who want to come to the UK and have someone here willing to provide them with a home, and will enable individuals, charities, community groups, and businesses to volunteer accommodation and provide a route to safety for Ukrainians, and their immediate family members who have been forced to escape their homeland.
Sponsors should provide accommodation for as long as they are able, but the government has a minimum expectation of six months.
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Under the first phase of the scheme, offers must be made to a specific person or people, and charities and other organisations might be able to help those offering accommodation to make contact with a named person.
It’s been confirmed that checks will be undertaken on individuals offering to host refugees, but Mr Gove said full DBS checks would not be needed.
Local councils may also check that the accommodation being offered is appropriate.
Is there any financial support?
As confirmed last week ahead of the launch of the scheme yesterday, those who make an offer of accommodation to refugees will be entitled to an optional “thank you” tax-free payment of £350 per month, and this will not affect benefit entitlement or council tax status, such as single occupancy discount.
Those offering to house refugees will not be expected to cover the costs of meals, food and living expenses for Ukrainians, but they can do if they wish to do so.
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Local councils will also be offered extra funding to give wider support.
Refugees from Ukraine under the scheme will be able to apply for benefits, take up employment, and will be granted leave to remain in the UK for three years so they have the access public services, such as the NHS and schooling.
89,000 people in the UK have signed-up to open their homes to refugees fleeing war in Ukraine / Credit: DEC (via Twitter)
How do I sign up?
You can sign up to offer accommodation to refugees fleeing Ukraine on the Homes for Ukraine website here.
If you have a named person who you wish to sponsor, then you should get in contact with them directly and prepare to fill in a visa application – which will go live on Friday 18 March – with all their details and yours, but if you don’t know anyone and still want to offer accommodation, the government suggests getting in touch with charities, faith groups, or local community organisations who are starting to make connections between individuals.
You can record your interest as an individual or as an organisation, and the government says all those who register will be “kept updated” once they sign-up.
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Additionally, the British public are also being urged to make donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which has been set up in response to the crisis in Ukraine, with every pound donated by the British public set to be matched by the government up to the value of £20 million.
The DEC has stressed that monetary donations are needed as opposed to specific items, which are often challenging to transport and not always relevant.
You can find more information and donate via the DEC here.
Pep Guardiola signs new contract to stay at Manchester City until 2027
Danny Jones
Blues will be delighted to hear that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is staying after agreeing to sign a contract extension that will keep him at the club until at least 2027.
The Catalan coach and supremely talented tactician has won all there is to win with Man City and after completing not only a record-matching treble but making history by becoming the first English team to win four Premier League titles in a row, you could argue his Etihad project is well and truly completed.
Guardiola, who joined City back in 2016, has gradually been creeping towards the end of his most recent contract, leaving those slowly searching for his replacement and the fan base wondering what the future holds for their next chapter.
But it turns out they don’t have to worry about life after Pep for a little while longer, as the 53-year-old has now extended his stay for another two seasons. The blue moon that has loomed over Manchester for the best part of a decade isn’t going anywhere just yet.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager, who is comfortably one of the most decorated and celebrated coaches in football history, was due to leave the club at the end of the current campaign.
However, although his contract would have seen him depart by June of next summer, this new deal will now see him stay in post until the end of the 2026/27 campaign, which will see him surpass the 10-year mark and then some.
It’s the news all Blues have been waiting for and an announcement that will no doubt come as a huge relief given the immense success he has brought to East Manchester.
Despite waiting until now to seemingly decide his future, the man himself has actually been pretty clear on the matter, insisting that he “fell in love” with the club from the moment he got here and saying as far back as 2020 that “unless they [CFG] sack me, I will stay here.”
Speaking in an official statement, Guardiola said: “Manchester City means so much to me. This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club. That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.”
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and of course the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.”
Man City fans will honour Pep with a banner which reads in Catalan, 'we want you to stay'…
"They'll have to bring me the bill. I will pay the bank. I don't want them to spend money for that reason. I feel in love since the first day I came here." 🥺
Better still, while the details of the agreement are yet to be fully detailed, it is thought that the new contract still includes an option to extend for an extra year, meaning we could be looking at Pep in Premier League dugouts even longer.
Should City go on to close the gap on current league leaders Liverpool, it would mean Guardiola would have overseen five title wins with the same team in a row: a feat only matched by very few in European football, most notably Juventus and Bayern Munich, the latter having managed 13 consecutive years.
Who knows if/when Guardiola will actually leave the Etihad Stadium for a new challenge, all we know is he changed modern football forever and has given Manchester – a city already spoilt in this respect – some of the most impressive football it’s ever seen.
All we do know is that the beautiful game’s passionate, bald, tiki-taka extraordinaire known simply as Pep is staying in 0161 for the time being and there are countless fans who are absolutely buzzing about it.
Tributes pour in for chairman of Manchester City’s ‘Cheadle Blues’ supporters club, Tommy Muir
Danny Jones
Tributes are pouring in following the death of Tommy Muir, the long-standing chairman of Manchester City’s ‘Cheadle Blues’ supporters club, at the age of 71.
News of Muir’s death broke on Thursday, 21 November, with countless Man City fans learning of his tragic passing online and proceeding to pay their respects.
The Cheadle Branch boss, lifelong supporter and well-known club figure is said to have died following a period of illness, with a member of the popular Bluemoon Forum claiming he suffered from the progressive disease pulmonary fibrosis for some time.
Numerous messages of sadness, love and support have been shared on social media already.
Sad to hear the news that Tommy Muir has died. A wonderful person who first helped me with my research decades ago. A dedicated MCFC fan. My thoughts are with his family and friends. https://t.co/8rLcL10N2Ipic.twitter.com/dkEmCSU1vl
Just heard a top blue Tommy Muir has passed away. Met Tommy years ago, he helped me out with tickets down the years, we shared a few laughs and pints. He gave me this plaque after he rescued it from Maine Road and is something I'll always treasure. RIP Tommy #trueblue 💙⚽ pic.twitter.com/jfbFLfZCKS
By all accounts, Muir will be remembered as a much-loved leader of City’s Cheadle Branch, as well as a generous character with a great sense of humour.
There are countless messages from people who know him from the local area or through helping sort spare tickets for matchdays and as the familiar face around Maine Road back in the day and on the bus to the Etihad Stadium for many years.
Tommy was also one of the official supporters group members who were treated to a visit by Man City themselves, naming him honorary Life Vice President of the Official Supporters Club and bringing the Treble trophies to his doorstep back in July 2023.
Muir, an ex-Royal Mail worker, also served as the landlord of The Kenilworth pub back in Cheadle, Stockport, where fans would regularly meet pre-match before heading to watch the game.
Local author and historian of Manchester sport, Gary James, wrote on Facebook: “I’ve just seen this news… Sad to hear the news that Tommy Muir has died. A wonderful person who first helped me with my research decades ago. A dedicated MCFC fan. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Speaking to The Manc, General Secretary of City’s Official Supporters Club, Kevin Parker told us: Tommy was a blue through and through and 100% committed to The Supporters Club at Cheadle and its members.
“I have known Tommy for over 30 years and no one deserved the recent success the club has had more than him. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him and fondly remembered. He will still be watching our wonderful club from the Blue Stands in the Sky telling anyone who disrespects his Club to ‘do one'”
Known to so many throughout the fan base, even supporters who never met him personally have been sharing their condolences on various platforms. Those who knew him well have nothing but heartwarming memories to share.
Fan forums like Bluemoon have been awash with people mourning Muir’s passing. One person told the story of meeting him at the age of 17 and following him when moved to The George and Dragon pub – another popular City haunt before games.
Another wrote: “I got to know Tommy when I joined the Cheadle Supporters branch. Tommy loved being branch secretary. He was absolutely dedicated to his position as branch secretary […] The branch meetings were serious affairs, getting through what had to be discussed, but in between was humour and laughter brought about by Tommy.
“Tommy had a huge sense of humour, and his one-liners were famous amongst the branch members, which would have everyone laughing throughout the meetings. The coach trips to the away games were never dull. They were always full of cheer, drinking, laughter, and City songs.”
“Keep on watching your beloved City from above. Rest in peace, Tommy.”
Losses like this within a fan base are always tough to take. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, the Cheadle Branch and all the Blues whose lives he touched. RIP Tommy Muir.
Emily Sergeant -
15th March 2022 
