Every penny helps. Thank you so much for your support.
British Homes and Schools for Ukrainians (BHSU) is an organisation supporting Ukrainians that are in the UK seeking protection from the war. As the crisis continues, we help this community rebuild their lives through educational and employment opportunities.
Building on the success of Summer 2023, here at BHSU we’re relaunching our Summer Schools campaign ahead of 2024. We are asking for your support to give Ukrainian children the chance to take part in educational programmes to boost their learning and language skills.
The hope is to raise £20,000 so we can offer 100 children places on residential programmes throughout the summer. We aim to help both children living in the UK and those who remain in Ukraine living though the daily realities of war. Your support will help to fund travel and visas as well as support our staff and chaperones who make this all possible.
We need your help now
The newspaper headlines may have faded but the war is far from over. As the attacks on Ukraine continue and daily air raid sirens become the new normal, the psychological trauma felt by children is only growing. Looking ahead to next summer, we want to give Ukrainian children the chance to feel like children again, getting back into the classroom and, most importantly, having fun.
Why Summer Schools?
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the lives of children across the country have been turned upside down and the normality of the school day has disappeared.
Against a backdrop of air raid sirens, parents fear sending their children to school and thousands of educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Even accessing online learning is challenging as attacks on the nation’s energy infrastructure cause widespread blackouts which stop children from getting online and into their virtual classrooms.
Summer schools provide a great boost to children’s education which has been interrupted since the war began but it’s about so much more than learning. For children who have grown used to studying while sheltering underground, it’s a chance to see a new country, experience a different culture and make friends - all while having fun. And for their parents, summer schools offer some much needed respite, knowing their children are safe and cared for.
2023: A summer of success
In 2023, thanks to the incredible support of our donors and educational partners, BHSU was able to offer Summer Schools programmes to 65 Ukrainian children.
As well as giving places to children who have found refuge in the UK, we brought a group of seven students over from Ukraine. Each of these children were being supported by our partner, Children of Heroes, a grassroots non-profit based in Kyiv working with young people who have lost one or both of their parents due to the war. On top of figuring out the world without their parents, the new reality for these children involves daily drone attacks and an uncertain future.
The month they spent in the UK was a chance to enjoy all the things childhood should be about: making friends, playing sports, exploring crafts and learning new things. In short, it was a month of respite. And we could not have done it without the generosity of donations which funded costs including visas and travel for the children and their chaperones.
New hopes for the future
For both the children living in the UK and those travelling from Ukraine, the time spent in Summer School gave them some much needed fun, creativity and enrichment - everything summer should be for children.
They returned home to their parents with a new lease on life and hopes for the future. And the change has been clear for their families to see:
“You are wizards who magically swept out children into a fairytale for a whole month. Thanks to you, my daughter now has lots of goals and plans for her life.”
“This experience was so special for my daughter as she made new friends and gained a wealth of new knowledge through the engaging lessons.”
“It was a truly fantastic experience that allowed my sons to temporarily set aside their everyday concerns and fully immerse themselves in a world of fun and learning alongside their peers.”
Looking to the future
We need your help to make the 2024 campaign an even bigger success and help more Ukrainian children experience the joy of Summer School programmes. We’d love your support whether it's a one-off donation for this project or a monthly contribution to help us continue our ongoing work.
About BHSU
British Homes and Schools for Ukrainians (BHSU) is a Community Interest Company formed in March 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is the joint effort of Business Link educational agency and Living Learning English (LLE). Business Link has been helping students learn in British boarding schools and universities for over 25 years. While LLE specialises in one-to-one courses and homestay experiences, giving students the chance to fully immerse themselves in British life as they study.
Their Story
BHSU came about following our co-founders’ Valeria and Tetyana’s own journey to the UK. When Kyiv found itself under attack, the mother and daughter team were forced to leave their home. Travelling through Poland and Italy, they arrived in the UK in May 2022 after LLE’s founder, Kate, helped to connect them with sponsors in Britain. As Valeria and Tetyana set about rebuilding their own lives in a new country, they wanted to create a support system between the UK and Ukraine that would help others to do the same.
Together Valeria, Tetyana and Kate began BHSU, combining the expertise of Business Link and Living Learning English. Over the last year and a half they have built a growing community providing opportunities for Ukrainians to learn, work and thrive in their lives in the UK until it is finally safe to return home.
Their Work
BHSU began by providing support with housing and matching displaced Ukrainians with vetted British sponsors. Nearly two years into the crisis, BHSU are focusing their efforts on education (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary) and learning (including adult language courses and employability training), as well as the provision of a bi-lingual helpline to guide and support Ukrainians looking to reach the UK for safety as well as those already in the country.
Prospero World adopted BHSU in June 2022.