Resilience is not a superpower

We are a UK registered charity and we run a free, extracurricular online school in English for Ukrainian children affected by the war. Our pupils are 10–18 years old and we have supported more than 4,000 children since 2022.

Svitlo pupils can choose from more than 50 lessons each week, taught in English by native English speakers who are volunteers from all over the world. We also provide scholarships, fully-funded summer camps in the UK and Europe, and books and equipment to Ukrainian children and school bomb shelters.

Our pupils are Ukrainian children aged 10–18. The vast majority – 80% – are still living in Ukraine, with the rest living as refugees in host nations including Turkey, Germany and Poland.

Many of our students in Ukraine have been displaced from the communities where they grew up to safer parts of the country. Some of our students are in frontline regions.

Svitlo School will use 100% of donations received through the Winter Appeal to fund products and delivery.

We use JustGiving to collect donations securely. JustGiving charges 0% to charities to use its platform, but payment providers take a small fee for card transactions: 1.9% + 30p in the UK. JustGiving pays the transaction fee, then gives the remainder to Svitlo School.

You have the option to boost your donation if you would like to cover processing fees, but it is not a requirement.

Our kits are needs-led: pupils and their families request only the items they need. Your donation goes into our Winter Appeal fund and is spent on the items our students request, so the kits on this page show what your donation could provide.

All products are sourced within Ukraine. We have sourced a number of Ukrainian businesses with good availability and excellent reviews. This not only supports local economies in Ukraine but ensures speedy, cost-effective delivery and a limited carbon footprint.

Our Ukraine-based staff purchase and arrange tracked delivery of each kit. All receipts and records are securely stored for transparency.

We will start sending kits out in batches as soon as possible, and continue until February or for as long as funds last. This helps ensure children receive their kits during the winter months, when blackouts are felt most severely.

Yes. Each product meets regulatory standards and has been chosen for safety and quality. The power bank can recharge a laptop and other devices at the same time, and the lamps, reading lights and fairy lights are low-voltage.

As an online charity and school, we do not have storage capacity to hold products, and we would not share address details for our students or staff, so sending products directly is not possible. Our staff in Ukraine purchase products from Ukrainian businesses and arrange delivery directly to students and their families.

Yes. You can dedicate your donation to someone special on our JustGiving page.

If you run a business, social group or school and would like to be involved, you can sponsor multiple Winter Essentials Kits or promote the appeal within your networks. We would be delighted to work with you and support you with any materials you might need. We can highlight support from businesses and groups in appeal updates and on our website. Please contact marketing@svitloschool.com to start a conversation.

There are lots of ways to help beyond donating:

• Follow us on social media, including Instagram @SvitloEducation
• Volunteer with us, from just one hour per week
• Make an introduction to your company or organisation
• Fundraise as a business, school, team or family