Ukrainian refugee Oksana Hevdi shares what life has been like since moving to Spalding

Oksana Hevdi is a 19-year-old refugee who fled Ukraine after the Russian invasion in February and is now making a new life in Spalding. Here she writes about her experiences of life in the UK...

Long before the full-scale war, the idea of coming to the UK was in my mind.

As a foreign languages student, I always wanted to live for a while in an English-speaking society, but not in the way it happened.

It was middle of the spring and, with some hesitation, sirens outside the window and deep sadness, the decision was made. Unfortunately, a lot of Ukrainians from hot spots hadn’t time for thinking and moved wherever was possible.

Time is flying in the twinkling of an eye. Three months ago, with the help of the Ukrainian sponsorship scheme, I arrived in Spalding, which has become my new home. I’m happy to say that my sponsors welcomed me with open arms into their family. Spending free time with them, cooking, visiting interesting places and events, watching movies, having a cup of coffee in a cosy cafe and going to the gym has been a really great pleasure.

Having talked to other Ukrainians, my compatriots have been greeted with love.

Still every day starts and ends with the news and saying warm words to family and relatives who are in my native Ukraine.

I have managed to find nice people from Ukraine here. Eating borsch (national Ukrainian cuisine) and having discussion with them makes me feel more homely. I am sure that every Ukrainian misses our Motherland and wants to be back, as “East or West, home is best” - but now, here we are, trying to build our life.

Currently, you can meet Ukrainians in almost every city, town or village, so making new acquaintances and friends is not difficult. Not everyone speaks English and sometimes it causes certain difficulties. That’s why now education is an integral part of the day for every Ukrainian in the UK. The good thing is that pupils are able to go to school and students can pass their independent testing and enter university.

Seeking a job is not a problem here, as everyone has managed to start working, but I was slightly shocked with the difference in the minimum wage that depends on the age. In my mind, it seems to be unfair for young generation.

Also some government processes are quite complicated and slow.

Applying for Universal Credit seems to be simple, but not when your appointment is postponed three times. Many Ukrainians are renting rooms or houses and that’s really challenging, especially for those who don’t speak English, as it requires a lot of paperwork.

One more disadvantage is the cost of the public transport and its instability because of the strikes. Fortunately, I commute by bike and have my own timetable.

Despite all of that, life in the UK is more stable and people are living a mainly calm life.

It is worth mentioning that England is a nice country, with similar nature to Ukraine: green forests, planted fields, squirrels in the trees, animals in the countryside and a breeze of fresh air.

It’s not hard to find a calm and cosy place for thinking or reading an interesting book and enjoying the nature around.

My favourite things to do are walk along the streets, admiring the historic buildings, eating ice-cream from the ice-cream van, buying clothes in the outlets and simply having fun.

I am continually trying to visit new places and gain new experiences. And now I am embedding into the English culture, customs, mentality and outlook.