our mission

The partnership helped get every child into schools – with extraordinary welcomes from Castleview Primary and Castlebrae Community Campus. Since then, we have also had children join the school roll at Brunstane Primary and Portobello High.

Initially Southfield Medical Practice took all the group into their care, and an array of dentists and the children’s dental service has ensured all of the group have now been seen. Medical needs as diverse as mental health and cancer are being treated. Literally hundreds of appointments have been organised and attended. Some of the group have now transferred to other GP practices.

Bank accounts had to be opened for all of the adults, and this was achieved with the help of Royal Bank of Scotland and others, with the charity providing translators for all of the appointments that took place. We’ve assisted the group access entitled benefits and now, for many, work.

The charity initially organised a team of translators to help the group settle, with tasks as diverse as optician appointments to daily shopping runs. Funds donated helped us supplement the existing college-run English language courses by employing our own English teacher for almost a year. In this, we were considerably helped by a sizeable donation from Persimmon Homes.

We have also funded a unique partnership with Edinburgh College, Castlebrae, and Barnardos along with others, to work with our older young people aged 16+ to ensure we find the most positive destinations possible for them – be it in further or higher education, or in good jobs. In addition, we’ve helped many of our house parents find part-time jobs to help make ends meet.

To enable our primary school children to travel to and from school safely, and with the generous help of law firm Addleshaw Goddard, we purchased and have been running a minibus for the daily school run and for everyday excursions.

We bought a built a play area outside the group’s accommodation; purchased UK phones and sim cards; toys, bicycles and scooters; clothes and school uniforms; and provided laptops and tablets.

The Polyakov family have been generous and regular donors and have helped meet the costs of holidays and excursions for the group, including a recent trip to Blairvadach outdoor centre on the west coast.

We’ve organised holidays in London and York, and a plethora of events and activities. Hibernian Community Foundation has provided a steady stream of free matchday tickets and coaching for the kids. The UK space industry has raised funds for us, to help support these activities. Other generous donors have included Baillie Gifford, Lindsays, the Orcome Trust, City Charitable Trust, Best Bars Charlotte, Enshored, and Anna Jones (Cahoots). And not to forget the ongoing support of Hibernian fans, whose generosity through the Hanlon Stevenson Foundation, Hibs.net and through our own bucket collection, has been outstanding. We are pleased to say other clubs fans have also stepped up, in particular Aberdeen FC.

Every donation has helped us to provide everything to the group from day one, from breakfasts to clothes, from holidays to birthday and Christmas gifts.

Not all the orphanage families we have supported all these years chose to come to Scotland, and some remained in Ukraine, while others are now in Spain or Germany. We continue to support all of our families from the donations you give us, providing not only gifts for birthdays and Christmas, but money for essential supplies and equipment. Please don’t forget, we continue to support those enduring the hardships of war.