Sedbergh School stepped forward with extraordinary generosity and speed to support a programme delivering life-changing educational experiences for children affected by the war in Ukraine.
Just days before a group of seven Ukrainian children, supported by the Children of Heroes Charity Fund, was due to travel to the UK as part of the Brightseeds Summer 2025 programme, the host school they were scheduled to attend announced it could no longer run its summer school this year.
The news arrived 48 hours before the children were to begin their 40-hour journey from Ukraine, after months of effort had gone into securing their visas, travel documentation, and tickets.
Brightseeds launched an urgent appeal for help through the British Boarding Schools Network.
The children, who have lost one or both parents in Russia’s war against Ukraine, were travelling on a fully funded programme, with no additional budget to cover the sudden change in accommodation or tuition.
Sedbergh School answered the call within hours.
Kirsten Bentley, summer school sales manager, Sedbergh, said: “We knew we couldn’t let these children down. When Brightseeds reached out, our team pulled together immediately to find a solution and we’re honoured to welcome them into our community.”
Sedbergh offered to host the seven children and their group leader, Kateryna Siryak, for the three-week summer programme, covering accommodation, meals, care, and enrichment activities from start to finish.
Valeria Samborska, Brightseeds director & co-founder, said: “What Sedbergh has done is nothing short of remarkable.
“They didn’t just step in, they embraced the situation with empathy, professionalism and a deep sense of mission. These children have endured unimaginable loss. This summer may be one of the few peaceful, joyful experiences they’ve had in years. Sedbergh made it possible.”
David Milner, director of marketing and international relations at Sedbergh School, added: “We have welcomed Ukrainian pupils to Sedbergh for many years, and when our friends at Business Link and Brightseeds reached out for help, it was immediately clear – guided by our core value of kindness – that we had to act.
“These children deserved the opportunity to take part in this life-changing programme in a safe, supportive environment, and we simply couldn’t let them down. We are fortunate to have such a strong and compassionate community here at Sedbergh, and I’m incredibly proud of how our team came together so swiftly to make this possible.”
Brightseeds is a non-profit organisation with a mission to empower Ukrainian children through global education.
