“We cannot stop the war, but we are not helpless to deal with the aftermath” – Les Cowan who is hoping to welcome Ukrainian refugees into his home

“With a sense of despair – people have asked ‘what can you do?’. I’m a firm believer that there is always something you can do in almost any difficult situation.”

Those are the words of Orkney’s Les Cowan expressing his thoughts on the conflict in Ukraine.

“We cannot stop the war, but we are not helpless to deal with the aftermath,” he continued. “This is the time for people to step up to the mark.

“Hospitality is a Scottish virtue – it is in our DNA to be welcoming.”

Les says he is in a privileged position, living in a large four-bedroom house in the safe and beautiful community of Finstown, and he is keen to offer a home to a refugee household from Ukraine.

“I’ve been through hard times and can sympathise to some extent. I’m not a mercenary, I’m not going to fight on the frontline, but I can offer a comfortable home to someone who needs it.

“My late wife, Fiona, and I brought up our two sons in this house – a loving home that was full of people and celebrations and I would like my house to be full of conversation and laughter again. My grown-up sons, who live in Edinburgh, are completely supportive of this and I know Fiona would have been one of the first to offer to help as that was the kind of person she was.

“She would have said, ‘it’s obvious, if you can help, then you should help’.”

Les has been in touch with the Scottish Government through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and also with the Baptist Union of Great Britain, being a member of the Baptist Church himself, to offer to provide rooms within his home for Ukrainian refugees.

While the checks and safeguards still have to take place, Les is desperate to get through the necessary administrative process as quickly as possible.

“I just want to be able to help someone through their period of crisis. I am not going into this with rose tinted glasses on. I am well aware of the trauma and potential issues that may arise, but if I can help a Ukrainian family to return home in due course feeling someone cared for me when I needed it, that would be marvellous and the kind of thing that makes life meaningful.”

Les has many tunes to his fiddle and several of them place him in a good position to assist those fleeing a crisis situation. For he was a social worker, lecturer, admin manager, depute director of social work at OIC, ran his own software company, worked for a Christian Mission agency in Spain as an English teacher and community development worker and is now an author who is working on the last book within a crime series.

Before Fiona passed away, the couple spent seven happy years in Spain – a time he believes changed him for the better.

“Our time in Spain made me much more multi-cultural, open and curious about other people. I don’t find it difficult to relate to people from other cultures.

“Prior to the Ukraine war I had offered myself as an English language coach to Afghans and I remain committed to volunteering through Voluntary Action Orkney in terms of teaching refugees English. I hope that with my social work and Council background and other skills I will be able to help those coming here to navigate their way through the system. People who come here may well need psychological support, GP services, help with accessing benefits, with integration to the community through learning the language, all manner of things.”

He says the time it is taking to be connected with a family is frustrating, but he acknowledges that the safeguarding checks are in place for a reason.

“Let’s hope that I am given the go ahead soon so I can start making a real, tangible difference to other lives. My experience of life is when you give something, then you get more back.”