Ukraine: Teen refugee finds home with Scots family she met online

A teenager fleeing the war in Ukraine has arrived in Scotland to live with a family she met online just a month ago.

Liliia Rudenko, 18, was at university in Kyiv before she was forced to flee when the Russian army began the bombardment on the edge of the city.

She met Maureen Stewart, 47, and her daughter Jordan, 20, through a Facebook page for refugees and is now at their home in Linwood, Renfrewshire.

Liliia said their kindness was "so good" and it felt strange to arrive.

Only weeks earlier she had been was listening to an online lecture, when her friends came to her door and warned her that war had started.

She said: "I heard bombs and I didn't know what to do. I called my dad and he told me to come home because 'we want you with us'.

"Usually it takes two hours, but it took me six hours to get home."

On her family's suggestion, she travelled to Poland to find safety.

In Poland, she joined social media groups to talk to potential host families in the UK.

She met Marueen and Jordan and the trio had nightly video chats for about four weeks.

Liliia said talking to them made her feel welcome and like she "needed to be here".

Her visa vas granted as part of the UK government's Homes for Ukraine scheme, which allows members of the public to host refugees.

Maureen said they wanted to help after watching the conflict unfold on the news.

She said: "Realising how much people were suffering, you had the feeling you had to do something.

"I don't have a lot of money to donate but this is something we could do, we had this space, it's empty, it was being used as a junk room, so to use it practically was something we really wanted to do."

To help Liliia feel more comfortable in her new home , Jordan created a gift basket and Scottish playlist for the teenager.

"She just seemed to fit in this family", Maureen added.

Meanwhile, a dedicated NHS helpline has been launched to support Ukrainian refugees coming to Scotland.

The Scottish government-backed helpline will support people displaced by the war to travel safely via the UK government's visa scheme.

It will also provide information to local authorities, councils and other agencies in advance of people arriving in Scotland in a bid to help them settle in more quickly.

Martin Morrison, operations director of NHS National Services Scotland said: "Our national contact centre is well placed to respond to this crisis.

"Our team's empathetic approach and first class service will hopefully make the lives of those who have been devastated by the war, just that little bit easier."

Last Friday it was confirmed visas have been granted for 566 Ukrainians to come to Scotland, including 35 refugees whose applications have been approved under the Scottish government's super sponsor scheme.