Free business courses on offer for Ukrainians in Wiltshire

Friday, 30 December 2022 00:00

Free ‘Business Start-Up’ courses are being delivered across the county in the New Year, specifically for Ukrainians who have re-settled in Wiltshire.

Three courses will run in the New Year, taking place in Swindon, Salisbury and Trowbridge, and will be delivered in Ukrainian by Sofiia Volovyk, chairman of the group ‘Swindon Welcomes Ukraine’.

Delivered by The Foundry (Swindon’s Small Business Accelerator) and supported by The Swindon & Wiltshire Growth Hub, each course will run over three days between 10 am and 2 pm, and will include networking opportunities for supportive businesses, as well as hosts, to meet each other and offer guidance on the local economy.

Sofiia Volovyk told us: “When I came to the UK, I quickly became aware that lots of Ukrainians had businesses back home and either wanted to or weren’t aware that they could set up one here in the UK. I set up a workshop to offer support and guidance and bring everyone together, and 16 people attended.

"Without the resources to continue offering this support, the local economy suffers. So many smart and entrepreneurial-minded people have and will resettle here in Wiltshire; what a waste to the community it would be if we can’t support them.”

The courses will take place on the following dates and at the following locations:

Swindon – The Workshed. 10th – 12th January 2023 Salisbury - The Old fire station. 20th – 22nd February 2023 Trowbridge – The Town Hall. 8th – 10th March 2023

Duncan Robinson, Business Advisor at The Foundry, said: “If you’re looking to set up or continue a business here in the U.K, you will need help to understand the local market, and fairly quickly. Our buying habits and how we communicate can be considerably different to communities in the Ukraine, let alone the HMRC rules and regulations.

"It made perfect sense for us to work with Sofiia to scale this programme. Those who book on to the course will be taught about sales & marketing as well as the business culture here in the UK.”

There are 15 spaces on each 3-day course, and anyone interested can book online via Eventbrite or by emailing: info@thefoundryswindon.org