The hub at Trinity Church remains a vital source of support for the many Ukrainians living in North London and beyond as the war continues, writes James Cracknell

Liudmyla (left) and Oksana (right) at Enfield's Ukraine Hub — Liudmyla (left) and Oksana (right) at Enfield’s Ukraine Hub earlier this month

It’s three years on since Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and a new American president has spent the last few weeks sucking up to Russia’s evil dictator.

When I decided to visit Enfield’s own ‘Ukrainian Hub’ at Trinity Church earlier this month, I was expecting Donald Trump’s latest ill-informed diatribe to be a hot topic of conversation. Instead, I struggled to find anyone willing to give the orange imbecile a second thought.

Instead, the focus from visitors was very much on socialising with friends and taking part in the Saturday hub’s workshops, such as the English-speaking class held here each week.

So friendly and useful is the Ukrainian Hub in Enfield Town that there are Ukrainians who travel here to visit from far and wide.

One of them is Stan, from Eastbourne, who moved to the south coast of England under the government’s Homes for Ukraine resettlement scheme having fled Odessa in April 2023.

“I like this hub,” Stan tells me over coffee. “I like the speaking class, I come to learn and sometimes to visit my friends.

“It is a very good idea to create a hub to support Ukrainian people. In every city [in England] there is something like this going on but I like this one in Enfield.

“When Ukrainian people come here, the first problem is language and trying to understand it. Another problem is the difference between our cultures and that is where it is very useful to come here to help integrate.”

Stan has a daughter in the UK, who lives with his ex-wife, also in Eastbourne. I ask him if he has made any plans to return to his home country in the event the war ends, but Stan says it is not such a simple decision to make.

“The country is destroyed,” he explains. “The economy is destroyed. It is difficult to recover from this. My daughter has been here three years and she is used to living here now, so it is not easy to go back.

“Many Ukrainian people will go back because they are older and cannot integrate as well here but for me I think I will stay here, if my immigration status lets me.”

Then I ask Stan about Trump.

“I feel the new president of the US doesn’t know about Ukraine. I think he has started to play on the field of Putin. I don’t know if he will have success.”

How might the war end?

“It is very difficult to stop the war. Putin wants these conditions [taking territory] which are not acceptable for our country. We need a guarantee that the war won’t start again. We need investors to help us recover and put money into the country. It will be a long process.

“I think Putin’s aim is to stop our country from existing. For many people in Ukraine this is not possible [to accept], so the fighting continues.”

Enfield’s Ukrainian Hub was originally launched in April 2022 by Yevgeniya Pozigun, who had already been living in the UK for 15 years at that point. Yevgeniya moved away to live in Asia in summer 2023, when the hub was taken over by Liudmyla Lukoveuko, who lives in Palmers Green with her British sponsor.

Liudmyla speaks very enthusiastically about the hub and all of the activities it provides, as well as the “extraordinary” kindness of Trinity Church for hosting them and Enfield Rotary Club for supporting them.

“The first time I came to this hub was May 2022,” she explains. “I made friends here and I decided to start volunteering because I wanted to continue to help the Ukrainian people. We do social things and help them to feel comfortable here.

“Every Saturday we have a wellbeing club, a dancing club, therapy, and other events like fundraising. We are looking for sponsorship to carry on the hub.

“I have tried to understand what is the best thing for Ukrainians living here and what they want from the hub. I help people to think positively and help them sort out their lives, learn English, get a job.

“It is important to give people options, to give them skills, and start to make their life happier and improve themselves.”

Liudmyla is originally from Kiev and is currently living in Palmers Green with her young daughter. She works as a practice manager for a medical centre.

Does she think about going back to Ukraine?

“I will think about going back when the war stops. When I lived there, I had a plan for my life but then I had to think about where it is safe for my daughter. I am happy to stay here.”

And what about Trump’s latest antics?

“I am not thinking about Mr Trump, I am thinking about me. What is the point of thinking about him? He is able to do whatever he wants. I think it is a waste of my time.

“I have started a new life from zero and I am thinking about that.”

For more information about the Ukrainian Hub and to get in touch:
Email [email protected]
Facebook facebook.com/groups/ukrainiansinnorthlondon/?ref=share
Telegram https://t.me/UkrainiansInNorthLondon

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