Ukraine Hub
Food. Culture. Community.
Ukraine Hub is a charity project offering free cookery classes and community events for Ukrainians in London displaced by the war. It is a new initiative from food writers and campaigners, Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina, the two women behind the global fundraising campaign #CookforUkraine. With Ukraine Hub Olia and Alissa hope to create a welcoming space and a sense of a community for Ukrainian refugees in London through a series of cookery classes and creative therapy sessions.
“Food is our language. A source of connection and comfort.”
Our Story
This project was born out of the fundraising campaign #CookforUkraine. Launched just 48 hours after Russia attacked Ukraine in Feb 2022, the fundraising initiative was awarded a prestigious Champions of Change prize from the World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards in June 2022. This award is what enabled us to start the project. Ever since we started #CookforUkraine we knew we wanted to continue our work by building a community through food. Spreading the word about Ukrainian food culture and offering a sense of togetherness to those displaced by the war. Ukraine Hub does just that!
“Ukraine Hub is a space that provides a sense of home, is a source of community, and a platform for new life skills for all Ukrainian refugees, like my mother, here in London.”
- Olia Hercules, project’s co-founder
How it works
Ukraine Hub is a pilot cookery school and a creative community space offering cookery classes and arts&crafts activities to Ukrainians in London displaced by the war as well as to anyone and everyone else who would like to be part of our community. All classes and events are free to Ukrainian refugees and ticketed for the rest of the attendees. All classes will have a Ukrainian translator available to those who need one.
Running over the summer, the events will take place on the weekends at several central London locations.
Everyone is welcome!
About us
Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina met 15 years ago as MA students at the arts faculty of the Queen Mary University in London. After graduating they have worked together in cultural events and film. Their love of cooking and family histories inspired them, in their own ways, to change their careers towards a professional life in food. Olia published her debut cookbook Mamushka while Alissa launched her supper-club & events company KinoVino in 2015. Since then they have cooked together and hosted many dining experiences and fundraising events. In 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale war on Olia’s native Ukraine, the two friends, together with the team behind #CookforSyria, initiated a fundraising campaign #CookforUkraine, which has raised over £2.2M for Ukraine. Ukraine Hub is their latest joint project.
@oliahercules @alissatimoshkina @cookforukraine
www.ukrainehub.uk
Contact details
Alissa Timoshkina
alissa.timoshkina@gmail.com
07917285661
Olia Hercules
PA Maria
olia.woodhouse@gmail.com
07932 052403
Alissa Timoshkina, project’s co-founder
“We want the Hub to be a bridge between the two countries - Ukraine and the UK - and to involve the local community in making the refugees from Ukraine feel at home.”
Contact details
Alissa Timoshkina
alissa.timoshkina@gmail.com / 0791728561
Olia Hercules PA Maria
olia.hercules@gmail.com / 07932052403
www.ukrainehub.uk
