'Putin destroyed our lives. Radcliffe put them back together'

07.08.2022 - 10:25 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

On the hottest day of the year, five adults and two children are packed inside a semi-detached house in Radcliffe. It's gone 5pm but the temperature is still a sweltering 30C.

Yet no one here seems fazed by the inescapable humidity. That’s because the Muhsin family have finally found a place of sanctuary.

Four weeks ago, months after leaving war-torn Ukraine, the family-of-five were welcomed into Karen Hopwood and Jim Eynon's home.

As the first Russian bombs rained down in February, Munadil and Alina Muhsin made the heartbreaking decision to leave their once quiet suburb outside Kyiv, where they ran their own clothing business.

READ MORE: Terrified mum and son sleep on church floors for two months as they flee war-torn Ukraine for Manchester

They packed their bags, bundled their son and daughter into a car and headed for the Polish border. Their lives as they knew them were over.

Joined by Alina's mother, Halyna, the family made for the Polish border. The next five days were spent crammed inside the car amid sub-zero temperatures.

Outside, they could hear the sound of explosions that signalled yet another Russian missile hitting its target. They eventually made it out of Ukraine but months of uncertainty were to follow as the Muhsins travelled west through Europe in search of shelter.

Conditions were gruelling and for Munadil, an asthmatic, the heat and pollen made him constantly ill, while he suffered a painful knee injury following a bad fall.

It was when the family were in Belgium that Karen and Jim first learned of their plight, through Munadil's uncle, a former colleague of Karen's. The couple say they felt compelled to help and signed up to support the family via the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

After weeks of