Yevheniia Rizina
“Welcome to…” — not to the Hotel California, as you might have thought, but to the Ukrainian Hub Cymru Wales. This is a Hub of Ukrainian culture located right in the heart of Cardiff, close to the famous Castle.
It is hard to believe that the Hub began its journey in 2022 as a humanitarian aid centre for refugees from Ukraine. A team of volunteers made up of residents and Ukrainians managed to find and secure free rent for a small space at Cardiff Bay, piled high with clothing and essential items. The friendly, tireless work of the Welsh-Ukrainian volunteer team included processing thousands of requests, searching for useful information, working with the Welsh government, finding sponsors, collecting information about the challenges Ukrainians, overcoming communication difficulties caused by language barriers and unfamiliar local traditions, and offering words of comfort to those who had to start their lives from scratch. This was the daily work of our volunteer team during the first two years after opening. From 2022 to 2026, the Hub went through three relocations but never gave up, continuing to grow and gradually transforming into a cultural centre with Ukrainian library.
The hub is open 3 days a week for general walk-ins and our volunteer team strives to create a cozy, warm atmosphere in the Hub and is always happy to welcome every visitor with a smile and a cup of hot tea. Today, more than 20 activities take place at the Ukrainian Hub every week, all aimed at helping Ukrainians adapt to British society while preserving Ukrainian cultural heritage. Our programs cover a wide range of ages — from activities for toddlers to clubs for our “mature youth” well over 50. Our youngest friends can have fun drawing or attending a Baby’s club together with their mothers. For school-aged children, we offer sewing classes, music lessons, and a chess club. The Hub also hosts professional clubs such as rhythmic gymnastics for girls, karate for children, yoga, and dance classes for adults. A career development club helps participants adapt to the local job market, while driving theory lessons help overcome the fear of the unknown. If you live in Cardiff and face any difficulties, you can always come to the Hub for consultations with a local consul, who holds appointments every Wednesday. We have not forgotten about our mature generation either — English lessons, heartfelt conversations, and psychological workshops are all part of the “Golden Time” club.
And this is only a small part of what we are happy to offer each of you. Next time, I will tell you about… well, what would you like to know about the Ukrainian Hub?
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