Starting a New Life with the People Hub

Yevheniia arrived in Cornwall in 2022 with her teenage son as part of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

She faced challenges with the English language and the trauma of leaving her husband, friends and family behind in Ukraine.

She first came to the People Hub through our specialist partner CN4C to connect with other Ukrainians and share her experiences. Yevheniia later found work as a housekeeper and joined the Parent Power project, aiming to improve her wellbeing and her English in order to secure a better job.

At first, Yevheniia didn’t feel ready to take on any further training, as her English was still a barrier. She was already enrolled in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course at Cornwall College but felt she needed extra support. Her coach helped her find online ESOL courses that wouldn’t interfere with her working hours and supported her to enrol.

Her coach also sourced a funded laptop for Yevheniia to do her ESOL course and referred her to a digital course to improve her skills. To further support her, Yevheniia was enrolled in a digital course with a Ukrainian-speaking tutor. To improve her wellbeing, her coach referred her to the Safe Space Group at the CN4C Hub in St Austell for Ukrainian refugees, which she attended regularly on Saturdays. During a particularly tough time, the project funded a month’s access to the local leisure centre, allowing her to take part in swimming, gym and other fitness activities to help her cope with the stress of the situation in Ukraine.

To make travel between home, college, work, swimming and the CN4C Hub more affordable, the project funded a bike for Yevheniia. She appreciated this as she used to cycle a lot in Ukraine, and it also improved her wellbeing. The bike provided a long-term investment in her health and mobility.

By September, Yevheniia’s language skills and wellbeing had improved enough that she felt ready to change careers and start a Level 2 catering course at Cornwall College in St Austell. She decided to become a chef, and her coach helped her find the course. The project funded her uniform and some of the equipment she needed for her studies.

Now, several months into her course, Yevheniia is thriving. The project also funded a Level 2 Food Hygiene course to enhance her job prospects as she continues her training.

The support Yevheniia received from the People Hub has been invaluable. Thanks to CN4C and Parent Power, she felt welcomed and supported, helping her to access the resources she needed to rebuild her life in Cornwall.