Ukraine refugee, 14, finds part-time work in Worthing to raise money for soldiers in his homeland

Artem Romaniv is staying with his mother Olesia, 35, and eight-year-old brother Nikita in Worthing. They were housed by local resident Janet Atkinson, 68, as part of the Ukraine Family Scheme.

Janet said: “I’ve got a fairly big house the Christian thing to do was to offer my home to refugees. A friend of a friend knew Olesia. She got in touch and came over with her two boys on May 21.

"They are a lovely family. The boys are in school and Olesia has gone to college to improve her English as she wants to get back into teaching.

"They have been here nearly seven months and they’d really like their own place. They can’t go back as their home, in the Kherson region, is behind Russian lines. It’s very traumatic for them.”

Artem has been spending all his spare time working, mostly gardening and car cleaning, to raise money for Ukraine.

Two soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have already received pairs of boots his money (more than £700) raised.

Artem, who was featured in the national news in Ukraine, told SussexWorld: “My region was occupied by Russian troops from February 24, 2022. I know from my own experience what it is like to live under occupation.

"This is unbearable. My family was lucky to leave the occupation. But my grandmother, my uncle and other relatives and some friends remained to live in the occupation.

"In Britain, everyone around us treats us Ukrainians very well. The English help us in whatever way they can, so I decided that I will help my compatriots in Ukraine.

"I dream that my region in the south of Ukraine will be de-occupied by our soldiers as soon as possible. And that's why I started looking for different ways to make money."

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Artem said that he learned that, in England, teenagers can work part time. so he asked his mother and their host, Janet, to ‘help me find a job’.

"The first job I did that helped me find our host was painting her friend's fence,” Artem said.

"My mother published an announcement on the Facebook page in local groups that a 14-year-old boy from Ukraine is looking for a part-time job.

“Mom listed all my skills and how I could be useful to people. These are; washing cars; walking dogs; cleaning the house; washing windows; pulling weeds in the garden; raking fallen leaves and sweeping.

“After these posts, the community started offering me different jobs. There were many offers to help in the garden."

Artem said moving to England ‘was not easy’. His family had to travel through Crimea, Georgia and Turkey before arriving in the UK.

The youngster added: “The first time I was in England was difficult for me. I knew neither the language nor the culture of this country nor its laws.

"It's like starting life with a new leaf. Also, I really missed my relatives who remained in Ukraine. I thought we could come back in a month, two at the most, but it didn't happen.”

Artem said school was ‘also difficult for me’, adding: “One of the reasons was of course the language barrier. Another reason was that the British education system is very different from the Ukrainian one. Ukrainian schools do not study some subjects that are studied in British schools.

“Already now I'm starting to get used to it but I still have problems with the language, and often in lessons I do not understand what is being said. But the most important thing is that we are safe here.

"We were also very lucky with our host. She always supports and helps me. I am very grateful to the British people who surround me. Each of them tries to help in some way. I am happy here but still I hope to return home.”

Olesia, who worked as a primary school teacher in Ukraine, is now studying for an English qualification in Worthing – with the hope of getting a full-time job in a school.

Janet said the family are ‘very active’ in the Ukrainian groups established in the area and went to the Cenotaph in Worthing last month to lay a wreath for the six British troops who had died fighting for Ukraine.

"They’ve been up to London several times and met with Sir Peter Bottomley and Tim Loughton at the House of Commons,” Janet said. “They have been up to London more than I have.

“Olesia is trying to build a life with them here. She feels safe, which is nice. I just wish I could help more, in a way. They're on universal credit but it’s not enough to rent somewhere.”

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