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Welcome to the Malvern Hills guide – Homes for Ukraine

In this section you will find the following information:
In this section
Welcome to the Malvern Hills guide – Homes for Ukraine

Welcome to Malvern Hills guide (in Ukrainian)

On behalf of everyone here at the Malvern Hills District we want to welcome you to our district.

We know you have been through a lot and we are happy you are now here and safe. 

We want to try and do everything we can to make your transition as easy as possible for you.

This is some brief information to help you settle into your new home and find out more about the areas of the Malvern Hills District.

If you are living with your host, they may also be able to help you with some of the things included in this guide and answer any questions.

The Red Cross has also produced advice for Ukrainians arriving in the UK, with translations available:

Use the links below to find the information you need:

About Malvern

The Malvern Hills district is part of the county of Worcestershire in England. About 78,113 people live here.

It is made up of three main towns Malvern, Upton-upon-Severn and Tenbury Wells – a larger village called Kempsey and many other smaller villages.

It is famous for many things including the Malvern Hills, Morgan Motors and being musician Edward Elgar’s birthplace.

All three of our towns have different shops and services you can access.

Visit The Malverns - A Breath of Fresh Air

Alternatively, you will find Tourist Information Centres (TIC) in each of our towns and in the nearby cities, these offices aren’t always open as they are run by volunteers so, please check the website of phone before you travel to save disappointment:

Malvern - The Lyttelton Well Courtyard, 6 Church St, Malvern WR14 2AY.

01684 892289

Upton - Church St, Upton upon Severn, Worcester WR8 0HT.

01684 594200

Tenbury - Teme Court, 48 Teme St, Tenbury Wells WR15 8AA.

01584 810136

Worcester - The Guildhall, High St, Worcester WR1 2EY.

01905 726311

The nearest city is Worcester where you will also find a wider range of shops such as retail, cafes & restaurants, and food supermarkets.

From Malvern Link and Great Malvern you can access Worcester via train. From everywhere else you can use the bus services to travel, you can find bus information on the Worcestershire County Council bus timetable webpage.

We are about an hour’s train ride from Birmingham, which is the second biggest city in England. You can also get to our capital city London in about 2.5 hours by train.

Please visit the National Rail website for more information on train travel.

There are also coaches that can be booked, they take longer but are often cheaper, please visit National Express website for further information.

Your local councils

There are three tier local authorities – called councils - that look after the area and the people who live here.

Worcestershire County Council is responsible for looking after things like schools and roads. Malvern Hills District Council (that’s us) look after things like collecting waste and recycling bins and housing.

Parish councils are often the best point of call on a local level, often holding regular meetings for people to attend and get to know what’s going on near them. They also often have good connections with the police and local groups.

Find your local Parish council members

For free internet access you can visit any of our libraries:

  • Malvern Library, Graham Rd, Great Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 2HU. Call 01905 822722
  • Upton-upon-Severn Library, School Ln, Upton upon Severn, Worcester WR8 0LE. Call 01905 822722.
  • Tenbury Library, 24 Teme St, Tenbury Wells WR15 8AA. Call 01905 822722
  • The Hive, Sawmill Cl, The Butts, Worcester WR1 3PD. Call 01905 822866

Where to go for help

In an emergency, please dial 999. This service will connect you to the Police, Ambulance and Fire department. If you require information and less urgent medical help you can call 111 or visit the NHS website.

Find help and information in your local communities; the team at the Malvern Homes for Ukraine Facebook page have put together lots of helpful information for both hosts and guests, they also have lots of connections with local people who can help with everything from finding useful supplies to job information and people willing to help with translation needs: Visit Facebook page. 

The Malvern Hills District Council have recently recruited two new Ukrainian Liaison Officers who you can contact for help and advice, both speak Ukrainian.

Olha Kraievska - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tanya Averina - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTORY(OPENS IN A NEW WINDOW)

Money

Shortly after you arrive you will be given a payment of £200 (the same as 7,582 Ukrainian hryvnia) which will be given to you in cash.

Please be aware that hosts and guests must make an appointment to collect their £200 per guest payment. Please do not visit or contact the Citizens Advice without an appointment. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information

Shortly after you arrive you will be given a payment of £200 (the same as 7,582 Ukrainian hryvnia) which will be given to you in cash.

  • You will need to visit our reception at the Malvern Citizens Advice Bureau, 52 Prospect Cl, Malvern WR14 2FD to get this. Before you visit please call us on 01684 563611 to arrange collection of your money.
  • Hosts can contact Becky Floyd to check that all information is set up correctly: Email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Direct line - 01684 862315

This will help you while you apply for Universal Credit. Universal Credit is a benefit the Government pays people who cannot work or are currently not working but looking for a job. 

It is paid monthly and you need to apply for it online.

Universal Credit can be used to pay for your living expenses such as food, clothing, transport, household bills and anything you want to buy. Your Universal Credit payment is made up of a standard allowance.

Any extra amounts that apply to you, for example, if you have children; a disability; a health condition which prevents you from working; or need help paying your rent, will be added in addition.

Apply for Universal Credit online.

If you need help applying for Universal Credit please speak to your sponsor or you can call 800 328 5644 to speak to Universal Credit Full Service.

South Worcestershire Citizens Advice may also be able to help. You’re local centre is52 Prospect Close, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 2FD. You can email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or you can ring 01684 563611.

Find out more about Universal Credit.

You may also qualify for:

  • Housing Benefit - Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you're unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits. It's being replaced by Universal Credit.
  • Pension Credit - Pension Credit is extra money for low-income pensioners to bring their weekly income up to a minimum amount. 
  • Personal Independence Payment - Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is money for people who have extra care needs or mobility needs (difficulty getting around) as a result of a disability.
  • Child Disability Living Allowance - Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children may help with the extra costs of looking after a child who is under 16 or has difficulties walking or needs much more looking after than a child of the same age who does not have a disability
  • Carers Allowance - If you are an unpaid carer, you may be eligible for a benefit called Carer's Allowance
  • Attendance Allowance - Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of illness or disability.

Opening a bank account

You will need to open a bank account to receive Universal Credit payments.

To open a bank account, you need to go to a bank and show documents that prove:

  • your identity
  • your immigration status
  • your address

Below is a list of local banks in the Malvern Hills District. You can visit them when they are open and they will help you open your account. Your host may also be able to support you to do this.

Lloyds Bank - 48 Bellevue Terrace, Malvern WR14 4QG

Halifax Bank - 101/103 Church St, Malvern WR14 2AE

HSBC Bank - 1 Church St, Malvern WR14 2AB

Santander Bank - 22 Worcester Rd, Malvern WR14 4QW

Nationwide Building Society - 10 Worcester Rd, Malvern WR14 4QZ

TSB Bank - 71 Teme St, Tenbury Wells WR15 8AQ

Looking for a job

If you would like to look for work while you are living in the UK then you can get help to do so by contacting your local Job Centre. Job Centres have lists of jobs available to apply for as well as people who can help you find work.

The local job centre in Malvern can be found at:

Malvern Job Centre - Library, Graham Rd, Malvern WR14 2HU

Find local job opportunities

Use the find a job search on gov.uk

You will need to apply for a National Insurance Number if you are over 16 and would like to work in the UK.

Apply for a National Insurance number

Malvern Hills also has a number of agricultural businesses – that we call growers - in the area that want workers to come and pick fruit and vegetables for them. They are very keen to offer employment to people arriving here from Ukraine.

If this would be of interest for local opportunities you can contact:

Harper Farming, Woodside Farm/Top Barn, Holt Heath, WR6 6NH:

Vegetable and Salad Growers and Packhouse

Contact -  01905 621 012 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Pro-force:

Pro-Force provide tailored recruitment services.

Enquire on the Pro-Force website.

If you need help to learn more English here are a few local options for teaching:

Health

You should register with a doctor as soon as possible. Your host may be able to help you do this or contact the Worcestershire Here 2 Help service.

If you have a non-urgent medical need you can get advice by calling 111. You can also visit a Pharmacist who can offer advice and supply you with some medicines.

If you have an urgent medical need then your nearest hospital will be either:

  • Malvern Community Hospital, 185 Worcester Rd, Malvern WR14 1EX
  • Tenbury Community Hospital, 4 Worcester Rd, Burford, Tenbury Wells WR15 8AP
  • Royal Worcestershire Hospital, Charles Hastings Way, Worcester WR5 1DD

In a life-threatening emergency such as a heart attack, breathing difficulties and similar conditions you should call for an ambulance by dialling 999 from your phone.

Healthcare is free for everyone, although you may need to pay for any medicines you need depending on your circumstances.

You may also wish to register with a dentist. Children have their teeth looked after for free. If you are claiming benefits then you may also get some dental treatments for free.

Your host may be able help you register with a dentist or call Worcestershire Here 2 Help.

South Worcestershire Healthcare is a federation of the 31 GP surgeries in the South Worcestershire area and serve over 300,000 patients. They have created resources to help both new arrivals and the families hosting them to make the most of the NHS services available in our local area. They have developed a new How to Access the NHS in Worcestershire guide in both English and Ukrainian, including translated versions of GP registration forms, which all new arrivals will need to complete in order to register with a GP.

Read the how to access the NHS in Worcestershire guide in English

Read the how to access the NHS in Worcestershire guide in Ukrainian

Other emergency services

If you need to contact the police then for most issues you should call 101. A translation service is available.

However, if the situation is an emergency – such as a crime is in progress or there is a threat to you, your family or your home - then you should call 999 and ask for the police.

If you need help dealing with a fire then you should call 999 and ask to speak to the fire service.

If you need any other help and can’t find it on this page please phone Malvern Hills District Council Customer Services on 01684 862413 where the team will direct you to the correct person. Find a full list of contact information.

School places

If you have a child who is school age, Worcestershire County Council will arrange a place for them. They should contact you about this directly. 

Community Centres and Youth Projects:

More information for young people from the District Council can be found on our Community pages.

Bin collections

If you are living with a sponsor then they will be able to explain how waste and recycling collections work. If you are living in your own accommodation then here is a brief explanation.

In the Malvern district, we ask residents to separate their rubbish into recycling and general waste. General waste goes in the black bin and recycling in the green bin. We collect one of the bins one week and the other bin the next week. This is known as a fortnightly collection.

Which bin you need to put out and on which week, will depend on where you live. Find out your rubbish collection day. You must put the right bin out by 7am on your collection day.

Find the full list of things that can be recycled, anything not on the list needs to go in your black bin.

Parks 

We have some beautiful play parks in the Malvern Hills District, all of which you are free to enjoy. Many of them have play areas in for children as well.

Some of our largest parks are listed below but there are also lots of little parks and play areas dotted around across the District in each of the villages and towns.

  • Priory Park, Clarendon Court, 18 Priory Rd, Malvern WR14 3DR
  • Victoria Park, Park Cl, Malvern WR14 2JZ
  • Burgage Recreation Ground, 2 Temeside Cl, Tenbury Wells WR15 8UB
  • New Street Play Area, Backfields Lane, Upton upon Sever, WR8 0JJ

You can find out more about our parks and open spaces using the attraction finder.

For information on leisure activities and places of interest as well as local groups and coffee mornings please visit one of our Tourist Information Centres;

  • Malvern TIC, The Lyttelton Well Courtyard, 6 Church St, Malvern WR14 2AY
  • Tenbury Wells TIC, Teme Court, 48 Teme St, Tenbury Wells WR15 8AA
  • Upton-upon-Severn TIC, Church St, Upton upon Severn, Worcester WR8 0HT

Local libraries can also be a great source of information for local groups and events, see local libraries list further down.

Leisure Centres

If you would like to go swimming or exercise then you can do so at one of our leisure centres. We work with Freedom Leisure to provide a number of services across Malvern this includes swim sessions and gym usage. Malvern Splash Leisure Centre. You do have to pay to use most of these services.

  • Malvern Splash Leisure Centre, Priory Rd, Malvern WR14 3DS 
  • Sport Dyson Perrins Leisure Centre, Yates Hay Rd, Malvern WR14 1WD
  • Tenbury Swimming Pool, Palmer's Meadow, Tenbury Wells WR15 8SF
  • Sport Martley Leisure Centre, B4204, Martley, Worcester WR6 6QA

Malvern Splash currently has an offer for Ukrainian guests which includes:
- 3 months of fitness membership at any Malvern Hills Freedom Leisure Facility
- £50 Swim Voucher
- 1 term of swim school

In order to apply for this scheme you must have proof of Refugee status, have not already taken advantage of this scheme previously, and to contact the Malvern Hills District Council’s Ukrainian Liaison officers to express your interest. Provided your application is approved, you will then have an appointment arranged with Freedom Leisure to fill in all relevant forms such as membership, health commitment statement, and terms and conditions.

The email addresses for the Ukrainian Liaison officers are: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you have additional needs, for example you are not a confident English speaker, please clarify this in your application in order for us to arrange sufficient provision for you.

There are also a variety of Gyms both indoor and outdoor across the county – with outdoor gym equipment being completely free to use.

Trains

Each of our towns has a railway station with trains that can take you to different places including Worcester, Birmingham and London.

The major railway stations are listed below:

  • Great Malvern Train Station, Malvern WR14 3AU
  • Malvern Link Train Station, Malvern WR14 1SW
  • Worcester Foregate Train Station, Worcester WR1 1DB
  • Worcester Shrub Hill Train Station, Worcester WR4 9EJ
  • Worcester Parkway Train Station, Whittington Rd, Worcester WR7 4RD

Local transport

We have several bus companies that will take you to a variety of places. In some areas you may find the bus service is not as frequent as it is in other places.

Search for bus timetables and journeys on the Worcestershire County Council website.

We also have a number of community transport options that can be booked in advance for your journeys Community Travel and Transport Schemes Across Worcestershire

Community Transport Helpline 03003301399

Find more information on local transport options.

Libraries 

There are libraries in each of our towns. You can borrow books, DVDS and CDs.

There are also computers with an internet connection that are free to use.

Some libraries also run courses and activities.

They are also a hub for providing information and support to you and your sponsor to help you settle into the area. Libraries are free to join. You just need to bring proof of ID with you. Your host will be able to help you.

The addresses of your local libraries are listed below.

  • Malvern Library, Graham Rd, Great Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 2HU
  • Upton-upon-Severn Library, School Ln, Upton upon Severn, Worcester WR8 0LE
  • Tenbury Library, 24 Teme St, Tenbury Wells WR15 8AA
  • The Hive, Sawmill Cl, The Butts, Worcester WR1 3PD

You can find out more about your local library on the Worcestershire County Council website.

Religious Centres

To help you find places of worship we have added some links below that contain full lists for the Malvern Hills District: