Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett offers a spare room in his London home for Ukrainian refugees… as he donates his £350 fee to charity
Steven Bartlett has offered a spare room in his London home for Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country amid the Russian invasion.
The Dragons’ Den star, 29, has signed up for the government’s Homes For Ukraine scheme, joining thousands of Brits who’ve offered up accommodation for civilians whose lives have been torn apart by Vladimir Putin’s actions.
Taking to social media on Friday, Steven wrote: ‘I have a spare room at my home here in London so I’ve signed up to offer it to a Ukrainian family.’
Generous: Steven Bartlett has offered a spare room in his London home for Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country amid the Russian invasion.
The businessman went on to add: ‘The £350 monthly fee for housing a refugee family will be donated to @decappeal who @DeborahMeaden recommended for their ongoing work in the Ukraine.’
Steven’s actions were widely praised by his followers, but when one user asked about providing the refugees with other necessities such as clothing and toiletries, he noted that he had that covered.
He responded: ‘They won’t have to worry about any expenses while they’re staying with me.’
Appeal: The Dragons’ Den star, 29, has signed up for the government’s Homes For Ukraine scheme, joining thousands of Brits who’ve offered up accommodation for civilians whose lives have been torn apart by Vladimir Putin’s actions
Homes for Ukraine aims to match refugees with individuals, charities and other organisations who can provide accommodation for at least six months, enabling those without family ties in Britain to enter the country.
More than 150,000 people in Britain had registered their interest by Thursday, and refugees who have found a sponsor could apply from Friday.
Steven’s generosity comes after Benedict Cumberbatch revealed he hopes to take in Ukrainian refugees as he shared his support for the war-torn country while at the BAFTA 2022 Film Awards on Sunday.
Offer: Taking to social media on Friday, Steven wrote: ‘I have a spare room at my home here in London so I’ve signed up to offer it to a Ukrainian family’
Kind: Steven’s actions were widely praised by his followers, but when one user asked about providing the refugees with other necessities such as clothing and toiletries, he noted that he had that covered
The actor, 45, took the opportunity to highlight the plight of his ‘brothers and sisters who are suffering’ in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to Sky News on the red carpet of the event at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Benedict told how the suffering of millions of people can’t be ignored as the war is ‘something that hangs over us.’
He explained: ‘It is a really shocking time to be a European two and a half hours flight away from Ukraine, and it’s something that hangs over us’ before going on to note the ‘civilians who are being shelled and shot at, and killed and made homeless without power, without water, without food’.
Pledge: Steven’s generosity comes after Benedict Cumberbatch revealed he hopes to take in Ukrainian refugees as he shared his support for the war-torn country while at the BAFTA 2022 Film Awards on Sunday
And Benedict, who wore a Ukraine pin on his smart black tuxedo to show his support, continued: ‘And while tonight is a celebration and this might look like tokenism, we’re celebrating the moving image, we’re celebrating pictures… this is what I’m trying to do.
‘To show I’m standing side-by-side with my brothers and sisters who are going through this.
‘But we all need, as we know, to do more than wear a badge. We need to donate, we need to pressure our politicians to continue to create some kind of a refugee safety and haven here for people who are suffering.
‘I know that’s ongoing, I know that’s happening but everyone needs to do as much as they can.’
Support: The actor, 45, took the opportunity to highlight the plight of his ‘brothers and sisters who are suffering’ in the wake of Vladimir Putin ‘s invasion of Ukraine (pictured earlier this week)
And the film star, who was in attendance with wife Sophie Hunter, added that he hopes to get involved in the government’s humanitarian scheme and take in refugees himself after more than 2.6 million Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes.
He said: ‘I think already today the news has broken that there’s been a record number of people volunteering to take people into their homes, and I hope to be part of that myself.’
Meanwhile, Amanda Holden has travelled to the Ukraine border where she is interviewing refugees fleeing the conflict.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 51, is spending time at a refugee camp at Medyka in Poland, a short distance from the Ukraine, with Amanda remarking: ‘It’s extraordinary to witness how quickly people have got together.’
There, she’s been talking to people who’s lives have been ripped apart by the conflict for a new podcast called Ukraine’s Hidden Voices, which gives a platform to those affected.
Doing her bit: Meanwhile, Amanda Holden has travelled to the Ukraine border where she is interviewing refugees fleeing the conflict
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