Ukraine Policy Network

Displaced Ukrainians in the UK remain in a position of precarity and uncertainty, without any clear pathway to settlement, challenges in finding employment that matches their skills, barriers accessing Higher Education, concerns about the future of their children’s education, and poor mental health. Led by the University of Birmingham, in partnership with UK Friends of Ukraine, Settled, Opora, and Birmingham for Ukraine, the Ukraine Policy Network aims to cement and expand the emerging network of organisations, researchers and activists focused on these issues to share knowledge, identify research gaps, and co-create policy recommendations. The vision is a national-level policy network that will speak with a stronger, unified voice to and with policy-makers. The initial phase of the network is funded by the QR Policy Support Fund.


The network is comprised of: local, regional and national organisations and community groups supporting Ukrainians and experts in policy advocacy in this area. In the first 9 months (November 2025-July 2026), the network will focus on three key topics that have been identified by project partners as urgent: (1) visas and pathway to settlement, (2) employment and skills, (3) mental health and well-being.

For more information or to join the Network, email Natalia Kogut: n.kogut@bham.ac.uk

Project Partners

Current Network Members

Anya Abdulakh, Member, HR Watch London Committee;

Roman Bazelchuk, Director, NEC Planning Solutions

Betty Berthebaud, Director, Community Lab;

Olha Bielohlazova, Participation Officer, Leicestershire Ukrainian Community;

Tetiana Birch, Managing Trustee, Chornobyl Relief Foundation;

Alex Brookes, Director of IP&P, World Jewish Relief;

Kathy Burrell, Professor, University of Liverpool;

Anes Ceric, Honorary Consul, Bosnia and Herzegovina House;

Olena Chub, Visiting Associate Professor, University of Bristol;

Gabriella D’Avino, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Birmingham;

Kavaljit Dev, Trustee, Lions Club International;

Vitalii Drobotun, Director, Hereford Help for Ukraine CIC;

Yuliia Dubovyk, Chair, Winchester Ukrainian Cultural Association;

Robin Goodwin, Professor, University of Warwick;

Berivan Gunes, Legal & Parliamentary Officer, ILPA;

Peter Holmes, Administrator, Sunderland For Ukraine;

Natali Horbenko, Founder, Ukrainian Art House in London and Co-Founder, Ukrainian Trade House

Marnie Howlett, Lecturer, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies;

Yuliia Ismail, Immigration Advisor, Settled;

Timothy Jeffrey, Growth Company and United for Ukraine;

Sara Jones, Network Lead, University of Birmingham

Oksana Kalala, Director, New Arrivals Support CIC;

Maryna Kapas-Romaniuk, Visiting Researcher, University of York;

Piotr Kardynal, Community Building Lead & Policy Advisor, EWA CIC;

Anna Khyzha, Head of Operations & Community Engagement, Opora;

Natalia Kogut, Network Co-Lead, University of Birmingham

Anastasiia Kosenko, Co-Founder,  Kryla CIC,

Julia Klymenko, Member, Integravia Foundation;

Andrii Kryvolapov, Member, Integravia Foundation;

Anna Kulish, Chair of Housing Group, Ukraine Collective Scotland;

Vladyslav Kulikov, Research Officer in Health Economics, Bangor University

Irina Kuznetsova, Network Co-Lead, University of Birmingham

Mariia Lata, Immigration Adviser, EWA CIC;

Diletta Lauro, Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer, British Red Cross;

Andrew Leak, Official for the UN Refugee Agency in the UK, UNHCR;

Janice Lopatkin, Programme Director, World Jewish Relief;

Alina Luts, Founder, Ukrainian Social Club;

Claudia Macey-Dare, PhD Student, Charles University in Prague;

Olga Maksymiak, Co-Founder, Integravia Foundation;

Andriy Marchenko, Director, Ukrainian Welcome Centre;

Kateryna Myronchak, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Birmingham;

Hanna Nabilska, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist;

Tanya Naimanova, Ukraine Team Leader, USPUK;

Lisa Nagle, UK Friends of Ukraine;

Maryna Nastenko, Member, Integravia Foundation;

Natasha Nicholls, Researcher, University of Birmingham;

Natasha Niman, UK Programme Manager, World Jewish Relief;

Oleksandr Okhrimenko, Researcher, University of Birmingham;

Steven Osbiston, Director, Devon Ukrainian Association;

Olena Orlova, Visiting Fellow, University of Warwick;

Eleanor Paton, Policy & Advocacy Manager, British Red Cross;

Imogen Payter, Co-Founder, UK Friends of Ukraine;

Brienna Perelli-Harris, Professor, University of Southampton

Jenny Phillimore, Professor, University of Birmingham;

Olga Popova, Manager, Moseley for Ukraine;

Marisol Reyes Soto, Researcher, University of Birmingham;

Olesya Romanychenko, Co-Founder, Kryla CIC,

Alla Rybitska, Member,  Integravia Foundation;

Monika S. Schmid, Professor, University of York;

Maureen Seguin, Assistant Professor, LSHTM;

Simone Schehtman, Founder, Birmingham for Ukraine;

Nando Sigona, Professor, University of Birmingham;

Halyna Skvortsova, Director, Facework CIC, Dobrodiy CIC;

Sandra Tittel, Head of Resettlement, Refugee & Migrant Centre;

Olga Tokariuk, Journalist, Analyst;

Marianna Vaszilyiv, Growth Company and United for Ukraine;

Dmytro Vodianyk, Co-Director, Bridging Futures Ltd;

Tetiana Vodopian, Lawyer, Mediator;

Nicholas Wysoczanskyj, Ukraine Manager, Wales Refugee Council;

Anna Zagrebelna, Project Manager, Ukraine Recovery;

Natalia Zaitseva, Board Trustee, Brama Trust;

Dmytro Zakharchuk, Co-Director, Bridging Futures Ltd;

Anna Zamostna, Founder, Step to Empower CIC.

Photo by Hikmet on Unsplash