"I want to share my experience. I worked with Olena Bielaia on my CV, and I’m very satisfied! Very, very much 🥰🥰🥰 My CV was also done by a specialist-volunteer, and I was satisfied with it, but just in case, I decided to ask Olena Bielaia for her opinion. Now I’m completely reworking it because what she recommended is very dynamic, very bright, and very individual, which can truly be sent for really great positions, ones that I wasn’t even invited to interviews for before. So, I highly recommend Olena. She is a very nice person, very pleasant, and, in my opinion, a very good specialist. She guides your thoughts into new, really necessary directions. That is, she shows you things you didn’t pay attention to before, things you thought were unnecessary, things you considered unimportant, and even sometimes wrong—she shows how they can actually be important and work in your CV. Thank you so much, Olena!"

“It is an incredible honour and pleasure to work in USC. Huge thanks for the opportunity to speak, communicate and teach drama in Ukrainian. I feel myself important, useful for my community in such a difficult time for us. So far from home I feel supported and welcomed, I look forward to every Friday. I hope that we as a club will exist and develop further.” Yevhenia Shymshyryan, Kharkiv.

“After moving to a new country, the hardest things for children are the new school, language, adaptation to a new life. In the beginning, it was difficult, as we constantly had conversations about returning to Ukraine. The local Ukrainian community helped our family a lot. The organisers of the club are very kind and friendly people, and they are offering children’s activities for different ages. My younger 6-year-old daughter goes to the art club, the older 14-yearold attends the drama club and the teenage support group where she found good friends and support. Thank you so much for being there for us and bringing people together! It is very important.” Iryna Buleha, Rivne.

“I sponsored Sofiia a 19 yr old refugee in early 2022 shortly after Putin first invaded Ukraine. The Ukrainian Social Club not only helped me to connect with her, keep her safe with their network of contacts in Poland while we were waiting for her visa, but also since she arrived has helped her to settle, find friends, continue with her passion for dancing and generally been a crucial element in helping her and us to manage her new temporary life here in the UK.” Jessica Twombley, St.Margarets.

“My daughter and I came to London on April 1st, 2022, among the first migrants. At that time, Great Britain didn’t have enough tools and information for Ukrainians. Having settled in Chiswick with our sponsor, we ended up in an informational vacuum, because there was no club for Ukrainians and even searching for information on the Internet, we didn’t succeed in finding any information about our steps for integration in British society. On the fourth day of our stay in London we decided to go to St Pancras International station, where the volunteers were supposed to be. There, by accident, we learned that in few days there is a meeting running for Ukrainians in one borough of London. This borough was Richmond, located not far from our neighbourhood. That’s how we ended up at the Ukrainian Social Club. At the very first meeting, we signed up for an English test, and then joined the language courses. Also, volunteers gave us useful advice regarding paperwork and our further steps. We even learned from these wonderful people about history, everyday nuances, and the mentality of the British. Furthermore, we joined a WhatsApp group, where we can still get useful information. And what was my surprise when I saw in this group my colleague from Kyiv, actress Yevhenia Shymshyrian, who helped me with my first job here. So the USC also unites people. Ukrainian Social Club returned my dream to me. At that first fateful meeting, the founder of the club, Alina Luts, having seen a choreographer in me with her professional eye, offered me and my daughter to study at the ballet school, in which she works, so I returned to ballet after a break of more than twenty years. At the same time, Alina founded the dance group "Stefania", in which my daughter and I have an opportunity to perform at numerous events fundraising for Ukraine. By the way, we perform in collaboration with my colleague Yevhenia, who sings wonderful songs. Also, my daughter Polina made new friends thanks to the club, which is very important for teenager socialisation. The USC has really changed our life in England for the better. We thank all volunteers involved in the club and Alina Luts for this important initiative.” Ksenia Kurinna, Kyiv.

“Alina was incredibly helpful in September 22 when our two guests, both 18 year old girls with limited English, encountered some problems in London. We went to the social club not really knowing where to turn, and Alina very helpfully called the girls’ parents for us, translating and explaining the situation. She was very calm and reassuring - I’m not sure what we’d have done without her.” Kelly Wallis, Twickenham.

“Hi there! We are a Ukrainian family of 4 from Kamianets-Podilsky! In London under the Ukrainian Scheme, starting from Summer 2022. Our acquaintance with the Ukrainian Club in Twickenham began in September 2022, the 1st time we visited the club and met lots of nice people there. We try to visit the USC every Friday and each time there are various interesting events to visit and new faces to meet. Thanks to the USC I have met a wonderful volunteer - Walter, who specialises in CV-creating (a head of HR department in the past). Just in two months I've found out that I was Walter’s first Ukrainian client in his USC volunteering. He helped me to make a really brilliant CV, which I believe did its role in my work search and settled in my head a strong understanding of the way it should be done. Now we are really good friends and try to practice our British pronunciation skills from time to time. Also at the club, my eldest son attends the Acting Class where they constantly put on different skits, perform different roles, learn to express their thoughts beautifully and emotionally through the game, he likes it very much. My deepest gratitude to Yevhenia, who managed to see the theatre soul in my son, and treats him with the best teacher's behaviour. He likes it - that, I think, is the best result and award for a teacher. Younger children are engaged in drawing and creativity, and every Friday evening they draw. Olha managed to grow interest in the youngest and shyest "grownups" - our daughter loves her drawing classes. Alina, the person who makes all these connections work together regularly and without interruption - please accept our warmest message of Thanks! Visiting the Ukrainian Club in Twickenham is a great opportunity to give your thoughts and emotions kind of rest, because we all know how emotionally hard it can be sometimes. Each person you meet here tries to help you or at least advises on further steps.” Roman Holovatyy, Kamianets-Podilsky.

"I cry. My tears fall into my ears—this happens when you cry in bed. I know this feeling well; I’ve cried standing, sitting, lying down, and even in my sleep. Recovering is hard, and without help—almost impossible. London’s Ukrainian and British people saved me. Two kind young women, Maria and Alina, created the Ukrainian Social Club, giving us a chance to regain normality. Your hard work was worth it! It helps not just refugee women but also their children. One day, we will take our children back to a victorious Ukraine, and they will rebuild it. My 11-year-old son, Nazar, studies at Richmond Park Academy. We live with an English host family who helps us endlessly. Our host, Gay Laryea, introduced us to the Club. It was once held at Prosperity Restaurant, where I had my first English lessons with Marvin, a blogger and actor. As the Club grew, we moved to St Stephen’s Church, transforming everything. A meet-and-greet with Inna Prystaiko, wife of the Ukrainian Ambassador, gathered hundreds of refugees. Even more came for the Christmas dinner. For us, the children’s activities are most valuable. Nazar attends IT, art, and drama classes—his favorite. He was cast as a bear in the next showcase. It’s not a lead role, but it’s his first experience, so it’s special. While he’s in class, I attend the English-speaking club. These lessons work because of the warmth and kindness of the volunteers. Every Friday, we rush to the Club, meeting other Ukrainians on the way. Here, we share our achievements and struggles, always finding support. Everyone is a friend. I don’t feel alone in this foreign country. Thank you for this! A special thanks to the English volunteers for their care. Slava Ukraini! Victory is coming!"

“The club always has a friendly atmosphere, even ordinary coffee in the circle of new friends is very supportive.” Marharyta and Yuri Shramkov, Kharkiv.

“I would like to say a huge thank you for creating the Ukrainian Chamber Choir, it has inspired me to join it and start rehearsing and performing with the girls. It is truly a magical feeling: you come to the rehearsal and start singing, your soul is being cured by Ukrainian music and songs. And when you are performing in full Ukrainian traditional clothing, it gives you more confidence, helps overcome fears and most importantly, allow you to share your culture with the British public. That’s why it gives me strength and lets me re-spread my wings, after the war has put them down. I believe, while this Chamber Choir exists, and whilst these kind-hearted ladies who established Ukrainian Social Club and Ukrainian Community are there for us, Ukraine will win!” Nataliia Kovalchuk, Kyiv.