About Us

BHSU is a non-profit organisation founded in March 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It is the joint effort of Business Link, a Ukrainian educational agency, and Living Learning English, a language training school based in Bristol.

Our goal is to help Ukrainians find safety in the UK and build lives that are rich and fulfilling until they are able to return home.

We work alongside British institutions and individuals to provide accommodation and education for Ukrainians, helping them find normality in a world that has been turned upside down by war.

We believe that by uniting across borders against tyranny, we can help each other in a way that celebrates our shared humanity. We can learn and grow together, creating lasting connections rather than temporary charity.

Our story

Our co-founders Valeria and Tatiana were themselves forced to leave their home in Kyiv as bombs began to fall in February 2022. Finding refuge in the UK, they immediately turned their focus to helping others follow the same path to safety.

With over 25 years experience helping Ukrainians study in the UK through Business Link, Valeria and Tatiana put this expertise to use to tackle the humanitarian crisis. They joined up with Kate Hargreaves from Living Learning English to help others reach the UK, find homes and schools, and integrate into British life.

Our mission and impact

We want Ukrainians to be able to return home after the end of the war; back to the lives they’ve been pulled away from and reunite with family and friends.

Until this is possible, our aim is to make it as easy as possible for Ukrainians to adapt to life in the UK and thrive as members of their new community. We want Ukrainians to return home at the end of the war with positive new experiences, a higher level of English and lasting connections here in the UK.

Find out more

Our team

Working across borders, our team came together as a joint effort against the impact of war. With staff in both the UK and Ukraine, we are on hand to help Ukrainians through every step of their journey.

Our team brings together employees from Business Link and Living Learning English, offering support to find housing, get kids back into school and provide English language training.

Meet our team

Our supporters

We are lucky to have support from an incredible network of partners and are always excited to meet more individuals and organisations who can help displaced Ukrainains.

We work with commercial companies, non-government organisations, state and private educators, and volunteer groups.

Please get in touch if you’d like to get involved!

See who we work with

Ukraine

A year has now passed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In that time, thousands have been killed and millions more forced to flee their homes in search of safety.

On 24 February 2022, Ukrainians across the nation woke to the sound of explosions as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops in the country. In the face of threats to those who resisted the Russian forces, the people of Ukraine made a unified show of defiance that became an inspiration around the world.