Support for Ukrainian Parents

As one of our Training and Employability Project Workers, Hazel Lyons is dedicated to helping people find their way to better futures no matter what that looks like. She has been directly involved with a lot of great projects over this last year as a result of her partnership with the Association for Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB), working to help Ukrainian families settle into life in Edinburgh. This has also included excellent community events, such as coming together to celebrate Burns Night traditions with a Ukrainian twist!

On the MS Victoria ship in Leith, she recently delivered a 10-week course called ‘Living and Learning in Scotland’ which gave Ukrainian parents the chance to get to know more about the country, and learn about Scottish culture and its great traditions. As well as being educational, it also involved trips out and about in Edinburgh to explore the city. It has been a great success, with some of the members enjoying it so much that they signed up for our recurring employability and training course, Planning Futures for Parents!

Our vision at Space is that we see a future where our communities thrive, where people belong and lead fulfilling lives. Hazel’s work holds this vision to heart, meeting regularly with people from Ukraine, welcoming them into our community and helping them on to the path to more positive futures.

“I’m very passionate about the work that we are doing with the Ukrainian families and what they have achieved through this course. I am looking forward to continuing this work with the new funding we have been provided.”

As a devoted member of the AUGB, Hazel can frequently be found at their community hub in the heart of Edinburgh which works to promote Ukrainian culture and keep their traditions alive for future generations. She also regularly attends the Ukrainian Strategy Group and Ukrainian Job Fair, which takes place every second Wednesday.

She will also be working in partnership with AUGB Edinburgh to organize an event at the Ukrainian Club next month, which is about celebrating Ukrainian and Scottish culture together. It will feature songs from the Ukrainian Choir along with a feature from Hazel’s own band! She will also be reciting some Scots stories and poetry, while members from Ukraine will do the same in an exchange of culture.

It’s been great to see how much has been achieved through these projects, and we’re delighted that we can provide further support here at Space. As part of her ongoing work with the Ukrainian people, Hazel hopes to be delivering some further information sessions at AUGB Edinburgh’s Ukrainian Club. An update from her earlier course, this time Hazel’s employment support programme will be called ‘Living and Working in Scotland’ and hopes to benefit Ukrainians transitioning from their temporary home at the MS Victoria to looking for permanent homes and work in Edinburgh.

“I’m really enthusiastic to work in partnership with the AUGB Edinburgh as well as our funders Capital City Partnership. Exciting times ahead!”

At Space, we are dedicated to helping people from all backgrounds access the support they need into employment and other positive destinations. If you would like help to find paid work, are looking for training courses, or are thinking about going back to college or university in the future – we can help. Give us a call on 0131 455 7731 or e-mail admin@spacescot.org and we can put you in touch with a member of our Learning and Development team to find the right path for you.