Latest news with #DevonUkrainianAssociation
BBC News
19-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Exeter Ukrainian school providing 'community and friends'
Ukrainian refugee children are being taught about their homeland's heritage at a school in has been set up by the Devon Ukrainian Association to give children aged between six and 12 who have fled the war in their country against Russia the chance to learn about their native culture and association said the sessions, held on Saturdays, also helped pupils work towards their Ukrainian school leavers' exams and integrate into the UK education teacher Oksana Kryviak said said the school was set up because parents wanted their children to maintain links to their home country's identity. Ms Kryviak said children who had come to the UK from Ukraine were starting to speak a lot more English than their mother added the school also allowed the children to come together regularly."Of course they have a lot of English friends, but it's important to have Ukrainian friends too," Ms Kryviak said. Anastasiia Kuznetsova, whose seven-year-old daughter attends the school, said it was providing a great service."My daughter loves it because she has here not only study - she has community and friends," she said."It's important for me also because we are Ukrainians, but our children now speak more English than our native language."But we always will be Ukrainians because we can't become somebody else."
BBC News
22-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Hundreds gather at Ukraine war vigil in Exeter
Hundreds of people have attended a vigil in Exeter ahead of the third anniversary of the war in 200 people gathered in Bedford Square at 13:00 GMT on Saturday, before moving on to St Stephen's Church where activities included writing messages of support to send to Ukrainian soldiers. The event was organised by Devon Ukrainian Association who support refugees who have settled in the Olha Retevaia said: "It's hard because we need to help our people who fight with the Russians' aggression and we don't know how long it will take. - I think every family has someone who is fighting on the Ukrainian side." Monday marks the third anniversary of Russia's invasion on 24 February Petrakova from the Devon Ukrainian Association said: "The spirit [of the vigil] is of resilience, of standing up to the enemy, of fighting to the last moment and wanting to reclaim the territory of Ukraine and Crimea."
