War in Ukraine: 'My fear is that I may lose my family any minute'
Viktoriya Shtanko / BBC
BBC News: Beds, Herts & Bucks
Our story began in the earliest days of the full‑scale invasion, when the world watched Ukraine come under relentless attack — and when Ukrainians abroad faced the unbearable fear of losing loved ones at any moment.
In March 2022, BBC News featured a report about our now‑CEO, Viktoriya Shtanko, originally from Okhtyrka, Sumy region, Ukraine, and living in Milton Keynes. In the video, Viktoriya spoke openly about the terror of seeing her hometown bombed and the desperate fear for her family’s safety:
“My fear is that I may lose my family any minute. You’re kind of facing reality, and you struggle to digest the information and the scale of terror happening in your homeland.”
At that moment, Viktoriya — together with two friends — began coordinating emergency supplies for Ukraine from an industrial unit in Milton Keynes. What started as an urgent, improvised response to save lives quickly grew into something much larger.
That first act of solidarity became the foundation of what is now:
a registered UK charity — Ukraine Appeal CIO,
a strong and active Ukrainian community in Milton Keynes,
and an officially recognised Sunflower Ukrainian Supplementary School, now an Educational Hub supporting children, families, and cultural identity.
The BBC video captured the very beginning of this journey: a small group of volunteers driven by fear, love, and responsibility — and a community that rallied around them.
Today, our mission continues with the same purpose: to support Ukraine, to protect families, and to strengthen our community here in the UK.
Watch the original BBC News coverage
War in Ukraine: “My fear is that I may lose my family any minute” (Video by Jon Ironmonger and Andy Meeson) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-60680481
