'I fled Ukraine for Yorkshire - now I'm off to a top uni'

When Oles Kuzomko and his family fled the war in Ukraine, they only had 100 euros in cash and three bags of clothes with them.

His father stayed behind to defend his country, and later died. Oles, his mother and sister were resettled in the peaceful village of Silsden, near Keighley in West Yorkshire.

At the time of their arrival in May 2022, Oles could speak only basic English - yet four years on, he is celebrating top A-Level results and a place at prestigious Durham University to study law.

"Yorkshire is the best place I could have ended up", said the 18-year-old.

Oles, his mother Liudmyla and sister Yaryna thought the conflict with Russia in the winter of 2022 would be over within months. Initially, they hid in a rural area of the country.

Realising that the danger was only increasing, they escaped to Poland, then to the Czech Republic, leaving father and husband Roman behind. He died from sepsis a year later.

In Prague, the family moved around immigration centres and basic accommodation, while Oles desperately tried to study online, often with no electricity or internet connection.

He recalled: "My mum kept reassuring us that we just had to hang on for a few months, hopefully life will get better and it did."

Eventually, their UK visas were approved and they were housed through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

They stayed with a host family for six months, but were able to move into their own home when his mother and sister found work.

For Oles, the offer of an assisted place at fee-paying Bradford Grammar School meant he was able to continue with his education.

He struggled to make friends at first due to his grasp of the language.

"I got really lucky with my friends because they were really patient with me.

"It's quite tough when you go to a lesson and you don't understand what the teachers are telling you.

"A lot of people find a way to cope with it by isolating themselves from English society and just staying with friends of the same nationality. I think that's a huge mistake.

"Keep putting yourself out of your comfort zone because that's where all the growth happens."

He credits the school with helping him to secure his place at Durham, one of the country's oldest and most academically selective universities.

"I got an opportunity to go to a really nice school. I understand that a lot of people who were once in my position just coming into the UK are not as fortunate, with no idea where they're going to go, no idea how the future is."

Oles said he is determined to build a future in the UK and distance himself from his old life in the Ukraine while he focuses on his studies.

"If you're going into a new environment where you have to build your life from zero again, it's really important to focus on building the right circle of people around you."

He added that the friendliness of people in Yorkshire had helped him to settle in.

"It's really these small moments of kindness that Yorkshire people especially do that makes outsiders feel more welcome.

"It calms you a bit and gives you a bit more comfort in when you're in this transitional phase.

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