Mindfulness Educator at The Mindful Steps

Lena is a Mindfulness Educator for children and parents. She overlooks the management of the club, curriculum and delivers teaching of mindfulness sessions for children and adults, visiting the club. Lena is a qualified mindfulness teacher. She delivers emotional and mental health support for children through group mindfulness sessions, group programmes for children and parents and individual mentoring. During the lockdown Lena produced a digital album of meditations ‘Peaceful Discoveries’. As part of the project Lena works on creating further resources for Ukrainian refugees: guides and meditations in Ukrainian language.

Developmental Psychologist and Deputy CEO at Unravel

Victoria is a passionate Developmental Psychologist offering a range of psychological therapies online and face to face. Committed to growth in the practice of psychology and behaviour, Victoria’s main focus is mind reprogramming and harnessing emotional energy through understanding and channelling emotional states, thoughts and behaviour. Her main areas of specialism are growth mindset, emotional intelligence, anxiety, depression, self-esteem and confidence building. Victoria also works in schools, helping children and staff to transform their difficulties into meaningful experiences, and to understand and embrace their capabilities and strengths. Victoria leads a team of Ukrainian psychologists who deliver emotional and psychological support for children and parents in the club.

Diana delivers art and other creative classes for children to help them learn more about art, learn to express themselves in a creative way and enhance their emotional well-being. Diana is a qualified Theatrical Make-up Artist and children love when she teaches them how to do their own face painting. 

Diana’s diverse experience of working with children finds lots of applications in her work in our club. She has previously worked as children’s entertainer, organising different parties and holiday camps, actress, nanny and a martial arts teacher for children. Kids simply love getting engaged in her sessions, whether that’s an art session, a play rehearsal or a dance routine. 

Victoria teaches integrated lessons of Ukrainian language, culture and history for children in our club. Children learn here in 2 age groups: 8-11 y.o. and 12-15 y.o. Victoria qualified to teach Ukrainan Language and Literature and English in 2000 in Kyiv State Linguistic University. In Ukraine Victoria was teaching English in the University.

Coming to York, UK, Victoria is very happy to have an opportunity to keep Ukrainian children in touch with the Ukrainian culture, history and traditions. She feels it is important for them to remember their heritage, continue developing their knowledge about Ukraine and its traditions and speak Ukrainian language. Children are the future of our country, and it is our responsbility, as techers to continue their education and their development.

Daryna is a professional actress of theatre and film. She has 5 years experience of theatre performance in New Ukrainian Theatre in Kyiv and unforgettable 6 months work in “Sovereign” performance in York Theatre Royal. Also, Daryna has an experience of film and teaching acting classes in different schools in Kyiv. 

Right now, I am proud to have started a project that is very close to my heart – Ukrainian Drama Space. The project started in September 2023. I call this a space for my inspiration. The aim of this project is to show that talent is not created but it gets discovered deep inside each of us. Everyone’s talent is unique, their own. 

During the Drama classes with Daryna, children get familiar with all aspects of drama: 

• Acting
• Oratory art
• Camera work
• Blogging
• Plastics | stage movement. 

But the most important for me is to help you find your own voice, discover your potential – which I am sure everyone has – let go of internal tensions and stiffness, believe in yourself!

Kateryna teaches ‘Preparing for Math GCSE Exam’ lessons for children, age 15 to 17 who are preparing for their exams here, in York schools. As as the education and exam systems are quite different in Ukraine and England, a lot of chidlren have found a need to attend this conversion course.

Kateryna is a resourceful Math Tutor with 9+ years of experience teaching Math courses to middle and high school students. She always uses effective curriculum that targets individual learning gaps to meet student needs and make learning successful. 

Kateryna has two technical Master’s degrees, one of which is a Master’s degree from the Faculty of Applied Mathematics, in Ukraine. She is currently also working in one of the leading technical areas of information technology as a Software Testing Engineer. 

Yulia loves capturing the life of the Club and all it’s participants inside and outside our club hours. She enjoys being part of this nurturing community. Yulia is an experienced child and family photographer. She is passionate about not only helping families preserve their special moments, but give joy through her visual images. She likes to turn her photo shoots into mini celebrations. 

Olha is a qualified Math Teacher with a passion for nurturing children. She truly believes that children learn a lot more from teachers  that they like. Olha thinks that her ability to learn from children and respecting them is also very important in teaching. Life-learning and big challenges are things that Olha has been finding exciting through her life. She loves being part of the club which she has been attending with her children all last year.

Olha facilitates Board Games club ‘Play and Develop’ where children take part in playing a variety of board games. These fun-filled sessions help children to develop their communication skills, open up and make new friends.  

Olha is excited to apply her 20 years experience of leadership in the areas of human resources and personal development to teaching children and bringing her valuable input in the Club’s team. 

Olga works as a Teaching Assistant in Art lessons. She also organises various events in our club to celebrate Christmas, Easter and other occasions. Olga has 8 years experience of organising and running events, from birthday parties to professional masterclasses. 

Tetiana is responsible for supporting our visitors  of Sunflower Kids Club and our team. She is the first point of contact for all our visitors. Tetiana handles and redirects incoming emails, answers queries and solves issues.

Tetiana loves oto rganise and improve business processes. Her 8 years of experience in economic roles helps to devise and implement organisational systems to ensure that all data is managed effectively and accessible when required. 

Olesia is an experienced Psychologist with international experience of working with supportive and therapeutic groups of trauma victims. Before re-locating to UK, Olesia has been actively supporting Ukrainian refugee children and adults in Poland via: 

• individual counselling;
• art-therapy sessions;
• workshops on compassionate therapy. 

Olesia has set up Women Support Club for Ukrainian refugees ‘Beautiful Ukrainians of Pila’ (Poland). She still is supporting her 250 subscribers online delivering a range of therapies with a focus of trauma and PTSD. Olesia is also a qualified Gestalt & Art Therapy Psychotherapist with an experience of holding therapeutic groups for people with eating disorders. Olesia’s main areas of professional work are: relationships, food behaviour, depression, panic attacks, grief and loss, trauma and support in migration settlement. 

Olesia delivers group therapeutic sessions for adults to support and nurture their emotional health and work through traumatic impact they might have had as a result of the war and sudden migration. She also has been presenting some informative sessions for teenagers in our club to develop their emotional intelligence and resilience. 

Ksenia helps in the preparation and conduct of lessons in the club. Based on her experience as a Teaching Assistant at a school, she knows how to address peculiarities and difficulties in working with children and find an individual approach to each one. Working in a team with the Teacher, Ksenia does everything possible to make learning in the club accessible and comfortable for every child.

Kira supports the Early Years sessions with very small children and also lessons of Ukrainian Language and Culture as a Teaching Assistant. Her dream is to become a Primary Teacher as she loves working with children. Kira finds it an honour to qualify to be a Teacher one day as she is from dynasty of Teachers, going back even to her great grandfather.

Kira is excited to supports children in this exciting journey of theirs – a journey of learning. She has already assisted teachers in various educational setting, helping them with running sessions, creating materials and support children who worked at a slower pace. Kira is excited to have such diverse experience in the club working with a big range of children and carrying out different activites.