Homes for Ukraine: Two mums recall the moment they made contact

Shelly invited Mariya and her family to live in her home in Cumbria

Two mothers have spoken of the "emotional" moment they first made contact while one of them was trying to find a way to flee Ukraine.

Shelly Wall, from Cumbria, said she offered her home after she encountered "the kindness of strangers" who once came to the aid of her own family.

Mrs Wall found mum-of-two Mariya, from Lviv, on a website connecting families in the UK and Ukraine.

"I feel nice that I can see my children safe and happy," said Mariya.

Her family are thought to be one of the first to be rehomed in Cumbria as part of the government's Homes for Ukraine programme.

Mrs Wall and her family appeared on the BBC programme DIY SOS, when their home near Wigton was transformed to help son Noah, now aged 10, who was born with serious medical problems.

"The kindness of others and the community that we live in was unbelievable," she told BBC Radio Cumbria's John Bowness.

'So emotional'

Mariya recalled the moment she received the first call from Mrs Wall.

"I was on the sofa with my husband, we were talking, when I heard the telephone ring and I saw it was not an Ukrainian number," she said.

"I remember this nice voice, so calming."

While Lviv has largely escaped bombardment, Mariya said her family faced a bigger risk because of where they lived.

"We just started to think about how to leave, how to survive, what to do, because of the children," she said.

The family faced visa delays, with Mariya receiving hers before her 11-year-old daughter and six-year-old son.

Her husband has to remain in Ukraine.

The families met for the first time on 8 April when they arrived at Manchester Airport, where they were greeted with a Ukrainian flag.

"We just started to hug each other - it was so emotional - it was like we knew each other for a long, long time, not just a few weeks," said Mariya.

"I feel nice that I can see my children safe and happy here in this beautiful home."