Ukrainians in Warrington are beginning to return home despite the continued bombardment of the country by Russian troops.
Leanne Borshik, committee coordinator of Warrington Ukrainian Family Hub, which provides support and community to 400 refugees, said some women and children are choosing to be reunited with their husbands and wider families in a war zone rather than be without them in the safety of the UK.
“They can’t see an end to the war and say they can’t live in limbo forever,” Borshik, who volunteers at the hub and hosts a Ukrainian family in her own home, says.
“A lot of our members are women and children and their husbands and fathers are fighting. They’re missing them. It’s been over two years now and it’s very difficult.
“We have a lady who has just returned to visit her husband and she’s put photos on Facebook. There are rockets going off, there are bombs going off and she’s there with her two children.
“These women are very courageous, some of the bravest people I have ever met in my life.”
Ukraine’s efforts to resist Russian attack have had significant setbacks in the past 12 months. Optimism that the country could resist Vladimir Putin’s invasion was dashed after months of gruelling combat led to little progress, and a depletion of both arms and morale. After months of inaction, US congress finally authorised aid to the country in April and American arms were used to strike Russia for the defence of Kharkiv where the country gained territory this month.
“There is no fear that they will lose the war,” Borshik, whose husband is part Ukrainian, told The Warrington Lead. “The idea of losing is something they will not consider. They will be victorious and they will go back.
“The problem is that they don't know how long that will be.”
Ukrainian culture is kept alive at the family hub for those choosing to remain in the UK for now, however.
“We’ve created a warm, safe environment where they can come, spend time with friends and speak their own language,” says Borshik. “There are some very good friendships and bonds that have been made here. A lot of people have told us that they don’t know what they would have done without this community. They would have been isolated.”
Borshik hosts Tanya, her husband’s cousin, and her 12-year-old daughter Nastya under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, where Ukrainian families live with host families in the UK. This arrangement is usual for around half of the Warrington hub users, Borshik says. The other 50% have found their own accommodation, are now living on their own and have found work.
The first visas for refugees under the Homes for Ukraine scheme were due to expire in March 2025 but have now been extended to September 2026 as the war in Ukraine grinds on. More than 200,000 refugees have arrived in the UK since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022 and Borshik says new families are arriving nearly every week.
“We have done around 80 visa applications for people, we’ve found sponsors for them, arranged flights and once they arrived we tried to help them navigate life in England,” she says. “We help them with benefits, school uniforms, clothes, toiletries – anything they need.
“All the children get a welcome pack with toys and blankets because a lot of people arrive with just a suitcase or just a rucksack.”
The hub also offers English lessons every week at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, but many of the older generation are struggling, she says.
“Tanya owned her own business for 25 years, she’s a very strong, independent lady with a very good education but unfortunately she’s struggling with the English side of things,” says Borshik. “It’s very frustrating for her because she wants to work.
Ukrainian Family Hub Warrington at Christmas
“Nastya is settled. She’s in school. Her English has really picked up and she plays really well with my daughter who’s a couple of years younger than her. They don’t use their phones to translate any more – they have good conversations and she’s integrated really well.
“It’s difficult at times, sharing your house with someone, there are lots of differences,” she adds. “But it’s nice, we’ve got to know relatives we hardly knew and never would have known. We have enjoyed playing cards, having a drink and dancing together.”
Warrington Ukrainian Family Hub is run by a team of 60-70 volunteers with 12-20 there at any one time.
“We celebrate every child’s birthday with a party. We have at least a couple a week,” says Borshik. “We celebrate all the big occasions. At Christmas we give personalised gifts to all the children. We celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day. We commemorated the two-year anniversary of the invasion.
“Weekly we do crafts for the children, we have a lady who comes and gives facials, we do active soccer and other sports with the kids and we go on various trips. We’ve been to the Lake District, Blackpool, York and last weekend we went to Formby. It’s about creating happy memories for them.”
The hub is reliant on grant funding and donations and Borshik points out that the trip to Formby alone cost £1,500. With 400 members they spend £300-£400 a month on refreshments alone.
“Millions of pieces of cake have been eaten,” Borshik laughs. And laughter isn’t unusual at the hub.
Borshik says that women lean on each other for support, choosing not to take up the counselling available to them via Warrington Borough Council.
“Going to the doctor is not the done thing in Ukraine. They talk to each other and that’s how they release their stress and anxiety. They’re all in the same position. They know where each other is coming from, what they’ve been through and what they’re hoping for. They get each other through it.
“There are a couple of ladies who have lost their husbands and a lot have lost family and friends. A couple of months ago there was a bombing at a residential building and about five children under 10 were killed. Our ladies knew three of them.
“It was heartbreaking. This is their hometown, these are people they know. It makes it all the more real,” says Borshik.
But despite the horrific challenges it faces, the Ukrainian community at the family hub and beyond remain steadfastly optimistic, Borshik says.
“None of us expected to still be here. We now have to start thinking more long term because clearly it’s not stopping. This is why some women are considering going home because they don’t know how long they’ll be without their husbands or the rest of their family.
“But they won't stop fighting. They will never surrender. They will never give up.”
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