Wakefield pensioner Neil Waugh has been praised online for offering the spare room in his bungalow to Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban.
The 76-year-old took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce that he had room for two Afghan refugees in his Wakefield home and that he would be opening up his property to house two people in need.
He wrote: “I am a 76 years old pensioner, I live on my own in a 2 bedroom bungalow. I have today informed Wakefield Council I am willing and able to give 2 refugees accommodation in my spare room.”
Members of the online community quickly flooded in to praise the pensioner's actions, with one user @ScottMurphy13 commenting: "It's always "oh why don't you have them in your house then?", until someone says sure, I will. Then it's all "oh why arent you having homeless there instead". Give over, he's doing a good thing. Keep it up mate, need more like yourself in [sic] England."
However, in a follow-up tweet, Neil was quick to assert that he wasn't looking for praise but rather to show that "there's always something we can do" - even when we might feel helpless.
Neil, who describes himself as a "revolutionary socialist / marxist" added: “I see it as a gesture to people who have been put in an impossible position by the Western coalition, in Particular America, NATO, and us in the in the UK.”
It appears his actions have now also inspired others around the UK to do the same, with tens of thousands saying that Neil's offer had encouraged them to follow suit and offer their own homes to those fleeing the situation in Afghanistan.
Twitter user @collinsedmunds replied: "That’s fantastic and inspiring, I’m off to do the same! I have followed you for a while now because I liked what you wrote, now I think your amazing and wish you lived close so I could drop in for a cuppa and chat!"
Another user @ellie46256165 said: "I have a spare room and am ready to help."
It comes as the British government launches its Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme, which will welcome up to 5,000 Afghans fleeing persecution in their home country to the UK within the next year.
In the long term, the program will aim to accommodate as many as 25,000 refugees to the country. Under the scheme, councils will be working with the government on the best places to house refugees.
The Prime Minister has said that women and children will be given priority status for relocation in the first year of the program.
To find out more about the government's Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme, click here.
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Take a look inside the huge Tulip Festival that’s just opened in Yorkshire with over one million tulips
Farmer Copley's Tulip Festival is back and it's just as beautiful as we remember.
Spring has officially sprung and with it, so does Farmer Copley's iconic Tulip Festival that officially opened last Sunday.
Based in West Yorkshire, nestled between Pontefract and Featherstone, the Copley family really know how to get you feeling ready for the season ahead.
Just moments after entering the festival, we can assure you that winter will feel like a distant memory.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Spanning over 8 acres, Jack and the team have planted over 600,00 tulip bulbs consisting of 100+ different varieties of all shapes and colours that arrived directly from the Netherlands.
In addition to the 500,000 planted last year, that means there's over one million tulips to enjoy - now that is pretty impressive if you ask us.
Varieties include Carnaval de Rio, Tom Pouce, Gavota, Lily Flowering Mix, Blushing Appledorn, Wedding Dress and Rodolfo.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The festival includes five sections that have been split by 5 metre walkways enabling the best customer interaction in the field.
There's two dedicated pick your own areas where a mix of bulbs have been planted to ensure that visitors have a wide range of tulips to explore, pick from and create the perfect bunch of tulips. How lovely is that?
Of course there's plenty of photo opportunities, fairground rides and a bar to enjoy the view with a tipple or two.
This really is the perfect family-friendly day out and with the weather looking gorgeous (for now), we'd take the opportunity to see the tulips looking their best whilst you can.
The festival is on until Sunday 3 May 2026, with tickets starting from just £9.
To find out more and to book your ticket, take a look at Farmer Copleys website. We'll see you in the tulip fields.
Popular Channel 4 series The Dog House is looking for people from Yorkshire to adopt rescue dogs
Emily Sergeant
Could you give a rescue dog a second chance in life? Now’s your chance.
The next series of hit Channel 4 show The Dog House is currently in the works, with producers on the lookout for people willing to give rescue dogs a forever home, and people from Yorkshire are being encouraged to apply.
Since first hitting our screens back in 2019, the award-winning series – which is currently in partnership with Woodgreen Pets Charity – has captured the hearts of viewers across the UK, sharing emotional stories of rescue dogs and the people hoping to give them a forever home.
Viewers get to watch incredible journeys of rescue dogs finding their perfect match.
Image: Channel 4
But the show demonstrates that it’s not just the dogs who are being rescued, many of their new owners also find their lives transformed in the process.
“Once again, we’ll be following the expert team of dog-matchers, meeting this year’s rescue dogs, and of course, getting to the know the amazing people who are looking to offer them a lifelong home,” a casting call for The Dog House reads on the Channel 4 website.
“We’re looking for people who are considering taking the incredible step of welcoming a rescue dog into their lives and are happy to share their reasons for doing so.
“If that’s you, then we’d love to get you know you.”
Does this sound like you then? Channel 4 is keen to hear the reasons why you may be looking for a new canine companion, so anyone who fancies applying for the show is asked to fill out an application form online.
Georgina Pellant -
22nd August 2021 
