Ukrainian refugee mum finds work in UK as she starts job as beautician

A Ukrainian mum has become one of the first refugees to find work in the UK as she started her job as a beautician - and her boss is already singing her praises.

Valeriia Starkova, 37, fled the war-torn city of Kharkiv with her family to move into a house in Cambridgeshire last month.

Now she has become one of the first Ukrainian refugees to find a job since arriving in the UK.

Valeriia, who has two kids called Alikhan, 10, and Kamila, 12, started her new position as a nail technician at a beauty salon in Cambridge yesterday (Tues).

Having previously worked the same role in Ukraine, she said: "It feels fantastic.

"I haven't been working for two months so I've been waiting for this day for quite a long time.

"I was hoping that I would get the job I love.

"I was nervous that I wouldn't understand clients and what they want but after I finished the course here I saw that it's quite similar and the clients are actually really nice and they help me a lot.

"The hardest part was doing my CV. It took me two or three days but without a CV you can't find a job obviously."

Valeriia is living with nine Ukrainian relatives at a house in Cambridgeshire that was offered to them rent-free by local businessman Mick Swinhoe, who sponsored the family's visa application.

The four generational family - ranging in age from ten to 90 - drove for three weeks through 13 countries to arrive in the UK at the end of March.