Halyna’s Journey: From Refugee to Programme Leader

When Halyna arrived in London with her two children after fleeing the war in Ukraine, she had no plans to stay. Like many refugees, she hoped for a brief respite before returning home. But as the conflict worsened, she made the difficult decision to remain in the UK and start anew.

With two master’s degrees in journalism and marketing, Halyna had a solid professional background — but limited English made it difficult to find work in her field. Determined to become financially independent, she committed herself to learning the language, enrolling in multiple ESOL courses while taking on an unskilled job that required no English. Surrounded mostly by fellow Ukrainians, her language progress began to stall, and the demands of balancing work and childcare became overwhelming. That’s when Halyna realised it was time to make a more strategic career move.

A turning point came when she connected with Lewisham Works, where her advisor Elena helped her rebuild her confidence, refine her CV, and set clear career goals. Through workshops, job fairs, and mock interviews, Halyna gained valuable insights into the UK job market. She also pursued a digital marketing course online to strengthen her skills.

Her breakthrough came with the ILM Placement through Facework, a pilot employability programme tailored for displaced Ukrainians. Sponsored by Lewisham Works, Halyna joined the team as a marketing lead, co-designing and delivering career training sessions for many Ukrainian refugees in Lewisham and nearby boroughs.

Today, Halyna is not only working in marketing—she is now managing the Facework Ukraine programme, which has become a highly successful initiative supporting Ukrainian refugees in Lewisham and beyond. Under her leadership, the programme continues to empower participants with job market knowledge, soft skills, and direct connections to local employers.

Halyna’s story is a testament to resilience, community support, and the power of second chances. As she puts it, “Now I can plan and dream again.”