A Maidenhead rabbi who is trying to set up a “Ukrainetransport” for families fleeing the Russian invasion says he has been overwhelmed by offers of help in the UK.

Jonathan Romain, whose mother fled Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport during World War II, was contacted by more than 240 people offering rooms to refugees.

Explaining the initiative, he tweeted“I always wondered how I could pay off the debt I owe Kindertransport, which saved my then 11-year-old mother. It’s time, that’s why I help to coordinate Ukrainetransport.

Romain hailed the “incredible” response from those who made contact across the UK, offering rooms in their homes, mobile homes and even whoever has a hotel.

He said an 84-year-old woman told him she wanted to donate her spare room as she was due for cataract surgery soon, while another whose husband is receiving kidney dialysis offered to open her house if there was a Ukrainian family who also needed dialysis, saying she could get them all to the hospital at the same time.

“It was this kind of really warm response, a really caring response that was pretty incredible,” he said.

His move came as UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said more than 1.5 million people had already fled Ukraine for neighboring countries.

The rabbi plans to contact the government on Monday with the offers he has received so far.

The government has been criticized for its slow response to helping refugees from Ukraine. After delays he extended a visa scheme to allow more people from Ukraine to join relatives in the UK, but plans for a humanitarian refugee scheme to help those without family links in Great Britain have not yet been announced.

Romain, who is based in Maidenhead, Berkshire, said he hoped what happened with refugees who came to the UK from Afghanistan last year, being accommodated in hotels rather than hosted by British families, can be avoided.

He said those who want to help are a mix of people whose ancestors had to flee during World War II, and others who have no previous refugee experience but are “simply appalled for humanitarian reasons”.

Romain said: “So many people have responded and I’ve been overwhelmed with the numbers but also with the comments because people are so appalled at what’s happening and they feel so helpless and they want to help in any way. one way or another, and yes of course we can send money and medical supplies, but people want to be much more involved.

“Helping a Ukrainian family and making a real difference for them is what appeals to a lot of people who have that ability and so they said ‘we’re only too happy to help’.”

After fleeing the Nazis on the kindertransport, Romain’s mother is cared for by a Devon family.

He said: “When what’s happening in Ukraine broke out, I thought ‘well, here’s my chance to pay off the debt.’ If it weren’t for what Britain has extended to my mother in hospitality, I wouldn’t be here and so perhaps now is the time for me and my generation to step up.

He said: “The warmth of human companionship is hugely important, and also for people trying to learn the language. So it’s not just about having a roof over your head, it’s about looking after people and making them fit in.

Anyone interested in getting involved can email Rabbi Romain at [email protected]