Plea for help from Ukrainian family I met on holiday

David Walls met Ilona, her husband Dima and their children while on holiday in Crimea around 12 years ago.

It was a chance encounter on a beach at Balaklava, but one which led to a few days of travelling together and bonding over a mutual appreciation of Ukraine - where the family were from.

They never became close but stayed connected on social media, occasionally commenting on photographs of each other's lives across the continent.

That was, until Ilona messaged David on Facebook pleading for refuge from Russian attacks in Dnipro.

"She asked me for a safe place, and I obviously agreed to that," said David. "She came to the border with Poland and she's there now. They're staying in a hostel.

"She's there with two children and her friend who has two children as well. Their husbands have gone back to defend Dnipro."

David, a semi-retired pharmacist, has lived on his own in the west end of Glasgow for more than a decade.

A keen solo traveller, the 72-year-old has visited Ukraine several times - and had even been hosted by Ilona in the family's flat in Dnipro.

Now David is one of the tens of thousands who have signed up to the UK's visa sponsorship scheme to accommodate fleeing Ukrainians, which launched last week.

Each household hosting a refugee will be offered £350 a month, tax-free, and will not be expected to provide food and living expenses.

But offering hospitality to foreign travellers has long been second nature to David.

"I've always had lodgers in my room through the years," he told the BBC's Drivetime with John Beattie. "I've had Chinese students, I've had Spanish people - so I've always enjoyed that.

"But the room was free, so I thought why should I have a free room when people are needing a place to come?"

People who wish to offer a rent-free space in their home or a separate residence, for at least six months, can register their interest online.

Initial applications will rely on the applicant knowing a named individual from Ukraine they want to help.

But Ukrainian refugees with no family or other links to the UK can and will be hosted as part of the scheme.

Refugees will also have access to the NHS and other public services while their children will be able to attend local schools.

Local authorities will also receive £10,500 in extra funding per refugee for support services - with more for children of school age.

David said this is something Ilona and her friend may need to consider, with their children ranging from age one to 11.

As he awaits his own application being approved, David has been clearing space in his spare room - and hoping his guests are able to stay safe.

"We're just waiting on confirmation of visas," he said. "We're not sure how long that will take.

"In the meantime they are sheltering in this town and have to go down to bomb shelters sometimes at night when the sirens go.

"It's a very bureaucratic process to be honest - not very good for people who are in dire straits.

"At the moment I've got a big room that will have to house six of them. I've got two big beds and a fold-up single bed and a couch. I know it's a crush and everything but that's all I can manage at the moment."