Mother's Day mercy mission as Hampshire woman helps rescue Ukrainian children

WATCH Kerry Swain's report on Jo Cullimore's mercy mission to Poland. She's one of three families welcoming Ukrainian children into their homes. But she says there's a desperate need for more local families to help.

A mother of two from Hampshire who travelled to Poland to rescue three children from war-torn Ukraine, is preparing to bring them home.  

Jo Cullimore set off with supplies earlier this week and has now arrived at a castle on the Polish border, a holding venue for hundreds of Ukrainian refugees.

She has now met up with the three teenagers who are coming to live with her and other families in Waterlooville.

Jo, her 18-year-old daughter Emma and 17-year-old son Tyler will share their home with Illya, who's also 17, and knows them from a previous exchange programme.

Meanwhile teenage girls Ester and Nastia, will live with other families in the local area. As friends, it's important to keep them close to each other for support.

But Jo says it's heartbreaking to find so many youngsters STILL trying to find a safe haven in the UK. She's hoping more local families can offer help.

Speaking from Poland on Mothering Sunday she told ITV Meridian; "I think it's just a mother's instinct to want to care for children in need.

"I've got a 17 and 19 year old myself. I can't even imagine what it would be like, and I'd like to think that somebody would do the same for me if we were in the same situation."

She said many of the families there are traumatised, and even though they are safe in Poland, many have relatives still in Ukraine.

"It's a mixture of emotions, really,"she says. I"t's great to be with them to support them, but at the same time, it's distressing for them.

"We had a phone call in the car on our way back from the visa center, from one of the parents in Ukraine, and the mom was on speakerphone. We were talking about how the assessment had gone and suddenly his mum was shouting down the phone and I thought, 'Oh God, what's going on'?

"It transpired that they were being bombed as the mum was speaking. They were hiding in the cellar as they were being bombed."

She is appealing for more families to offer rooms to Ukrainian teenagers, particularly in the Waterlooville area where they can be near their friends.

She's also trying to find a placement for a 16 year old Timothy who suffers from autism and is struggling.

"His mum cannot leave Ukraine and she wants him safe." she says. "He cannot cope with the sirens. 

"He would need to be in special needs or autistic residential placement. 

"He is non verbal but can follow basic instructions -obviously in Ukrainian though. 

Jo says she will stay in Poland to sort out any visa applications but would love to hear from anyone who can help.

She cannot wait to bring the children back to start their new lives in Hampshire.

Any offers of help can come via our email address: itvnewsmeridian@itv.com

For more information on the Government's Homes for Ukraine scheme click here