Cheshire College – South & West has offered fully funded English classes to Ukrainian adults and their family members before welcoming them back in the new academic year in September. 

To help them settle into life in the UK, the College’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) team have provided classes to approximately 50 Ukrainian refugees during the remaining weeks of the academic term to help those signed up to improve their reading, writing and listening, and gain a nationally recognised qualification. 

As part of an enhanced package, Cheshire College are also providing free transport to the Campus and meals whilst they are on Campus. 

The programme has also provided a safe space for the new students and their families and introduced them to fellow Ukrainians who have found themselves in a similar position. 

Two ESOL students at the College, Yuliana and Arvind, are married and left the Ukraine with their daughter. Commenting on the course at the College, they said: “We are very happy to be here, and we want to say thank you so much to the UK Government and British people for the opportunity to improve our English and learn something new.” 

Gareth Edwards, Assistant Director of ESOL at Cheshire College, says: “We could see that there was a great interest in our ESOL course starting in September from Ukrainian adults and their families, but we wanted to help as soon as we could and provide tools that will help them integrate with UK culture and the community.  

“It has been incredibly rewarding to teach these new students, learn more about their stories and offer our support where we can.” 

Principal and CEO of Cheshire College, Dhesi, added: “We’ve been completely inspired by the resilience, commitment, and positivity the Ukrainian students have demonstrated and we’re looking forward to helping them further as they build on their qualifications and explore career opportunities in the UK.” 

Cheshire College welcome students of all ages and offer ESOL courses for those wishing to improve their English through writing, reading, speaking and listening. To find out more about this course, visit www.ccsw.ac.uk.