Illia’s Story, helping people in new surroundings

Illia arrived in Denbighshire in August of 2022 after fleeing war in Ukraine with his mother and younger brother. Being 17 at that time, and fluent in English, Illia helped his family go through initial settlement in Denbighshire, and was one of the first guests under Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme introduced by Welsh Government.

Soon, Illia became one of the leading Ukrainian volunteers, and started assisting Denbighshire County Council’s Resettlement Team with interpretation support during meetings with other families. By the winter of 2022, as Illia turned 18, he took on an official role as an interpreter within Resettlement Team.

A few months later, Illia had completed a Work Start scheme placement with Working Denbighshire, and secured the role of Employment caseworker. There, Illia helped support vulnerable members of the local community in overcoming barriers to employment. Illia got a new job in the summer of 2023, and transferred back to the Resettlement Team as a resettlement caseworker. In his new role, he helped many Ukrainian families to secure long-term accommodation across Denbighshire and the wider UK and was providing one-to-one support and facilitating their successful integration in the community.

Over the two short years that Illia has been in Denbighshire, Illia studied alongside his work, and has achieved outstanding A-level results. Illia has now decided to take a gap year before going to university and aims to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the Oxford University.

In September 2024, Illia applied for an Integration Officer post within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in London, and after successfully completing the application process and interview, Illia received a job offer. After spending two years in Denbighshire, Illia left for the big City in November 2024.

Speaking about his journey, Illia said:

“Uncertainty on what the future holds for you can be exhausting, but I think it worked really well for me and my family. Since coming to Denbighshire, I have met lots of wonderful people and learnt many new things. I am deeply grateful to all British people for supporting Ukraine and its people when we needed it so much.”

Ann Lloyd, Head of Adult Social Care & Homelessness Service said:

“The language barrier was the main challenge Ukrainian families faced when they first arrived to the UK, and Illia has helped immensely with this. His work with us at the Council has allowed for a number of families to now live safely.

We wish him all the best with his move to London, and would like to thank him for his role here in Denbighshire.”

Councillor Rhys Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said:

“We’d like to thank Illia for all of his help during his time in Denbighshire. His work was vital in helping families settle in, and he has excelled during his time in Denbighshire.

I’d like to wish him all the best for his future.”