The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) was established in 1946 by ex-servicemen and refugees from World War II with the intent to achieve the following:

• To bring together Members and AUGB supporters to develop, promote and support the interests of the Ukrainian community and those of Ukrainian descent in the United Kingdom.
• To foster and advance Ukrainian knowledge, culture, arts, heritage and traditions.
• Provide advice, welfare, and other assistance to relieve suffering and hardship to Ukrainians in need, including those in Ukraine.
• To provide and develop facilities for social, cultural and educational interaction.
• To promote and foster inter-cultural understanding and harmony between the Ukrainian and British or other ethnic communities in Great Britain.
• To support and promote the development of freedom and democracy, human and civil rights in Ukraine and support Ukraine’s territorial integrity and continued existence as an independent state.

The Newcastle Branch of the AUGB was set up recently in order to achieve each of the above but with the additional aim of helping Ukrainian refugees settling in the North and Mid Staffs area; the East Cheshire area and North Shropshire area. A new facility to be entitled ‘The Shevchenko Ukrainian Support Centre’ will soon be opened in Merrial Street, Newcastle under Lyme. The centre, which will be open to both Ukrainian and British people, will provide the following:

1. Help and advice for Ukrainian refugees and their sponsors. Advice regarding visa applications, employment opportunities, benefits and pensions, medical and dental services, education etc. will be provided by both the AUGB Newcastle (Staffs) Branch and partner organisations.
2. Advice for sponsors and potential sponsors regarding some of the specific issues faced by Ukrainian families.
3. Emotional support for refugees suffering from trauma as a result of their experiences.
4. A place for Ukrainian refugees to meet each other and establish relationships.
5. A place for ‘sponsors’ to meet and share experiences.
6. An opportunity for local residents and Ukrainians to interact and to establish relationships.
7. English language tuition for Ukrainian refugees.
8. Ukrainian language education for Ukrainian children, provided by qualified Ukrainian teachers, in order to enable them to maintain their studies and return to Ukrainian without being disadvantaged.
9. Fitness and exercise classes run by a qualified Ukrainian personal trainer.
10. Piano and singing classes run by a qualified Ukrainian teacher.
11. A place for Ukrainian families to prepare and share traditional Ukrainian cuisine.

For further details contact newcastle_staffs@augb.co.uk or telephone 07709449279.