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Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain - Head Office
The largest Ukrainian community organisation in the UK, the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) was founded in 1946. The head office is in London and there are branches around the United Kingdom. The Association of Ukrainian Women and the Association of Ukrainian Teachers are affiliated to the AUGB. From 1949 until 2013 the AUGB also ran a care home for disabled and elderly people in Chiddingfold, Surrey.
The AUGB head office in Linden Gardens, Notting Hill, (pictured here in 1950), houses the Shevchenko Library and Archive, the editorial office of the fortnightly newspaper «Українська Думка» (Ukrainian Thought) and an art gallery and gift shop. Art and documentary exhibitions, lectures, films and book launches are held here.
Federation of Ukrainians in Great Britain
The Federation of Ukrainians in Great Britain is a smaller organisation, founded in 1949. It previously had its head office in Kensington Park Road, but ceded this to the Ukrainian state, for diplomatic use, after Independence.
Association of Ukrainians - London Branch
The London branch of the AUGB in Holland Park Avenue is also a community centre, housing the Saturday school (see below) and hosting a wide range of events, including concerts, commemorations, film screenings, plays, lectures and dances. There is also a social club and, at weekends, traditional Ukrainian food is served.
Organisations catering for specific groups
London has local branches and groups of a number of other organisations, including the Ukrainian Scouts (Plast) (see photo left), the Ukrainian Youth Association (SUM) and women’s and veterans’ associations. Many of the events they organise are held at the AUGB premises in Holland Park.
Ukrainian Publishers
The Ukrainian Publishers was founded in 1951 and, over more than 40 years, printed a significant number of books, mainly in Ukrainian (by authors from both the diaspora and Ukraine), as well as publishing the monthly journal «Визвольний Шлях» (The Liberation Path). For a long time the ‘Ukrainska Dumka’ newspaper and the English-language ‘Ukrainian Review’, both AUGB publications, were printed here.
Complementary schools for Ukrainian children
Ukrainian Saturday School, Holland Park
The Ukrainian Saturday School is the oldest and largest in London. It is run by the London Branch of the Association of Ukrainians (AUGB) and pedagogical aspects are overseen by the Association of Ukrainian Teachers. The school was founded in 1955, and is now serving the third generation of Ukrainian children in London. It is currently housed at 154 Holland Park Avenue, and caters for over 100 pupils aged 5-16. The curriculum includes Ukrainian language, literature, history and geography, and the school organises shows and concerts to mark special events such as Mothers Day and the feast of St Nicholas. Pupils who complete the 10-year programme take a ‘matura’ leaving exam, which is accredited by the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv.
Teachers and pupils at the Saturday school in Saffron Hill, mid 1960s
The London Saturday School was initially held in the basement of 49 Linden Gardens (where the Shevchenko Library and Archive are now located) and then in the building adjoining the first Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Saffron Hill.
Ukrainian Sunday School, Beckenham
The «Українське коло» (Ukrainian circle) complementary school was founded in 2007 by post-Independence Ukrainian migrants to the United Kingdom, and caters predominantly for children of this group, aged 3-11. The school promotes Ukrainian language acquisition and culture, with a strong emphasis on the use of music and drama.
Ukrainian Saturday School , Waltham Cross
Catering for children living in north London and its suburbs, the Saturday school in Waltham Cross is run by the local AUGB, under the auspices of the Association of Ukrainian Teachers.
Ukrainian Sunday School, Acton
The most recent complementary school to open, in 2014, is run by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Acton. Classes take place on Sunday afternoons and the curriculum includes Ukrainian language, music and catechism.