A Ukrainian teenager who fled the war has helped many families settle in Denbighshire.

Illia arrived in the county in August 2022 with his mother and younger brother.

He was 17 at the time and fluent in English, which allowed him to help his family settle in.

He was one of the first guests under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme introduced by the Welsh Government.

Illia soon became a leading Ukrainian volunteer, helping Denbighshire County Council’s Resettlement Team with interpretation support during meetings with other families.

By the winter of 2022, as he turned 18, he took on an official role as an interpreter within the Resettlement Team.

A few months later, Illia completed a Work Start scheme placement with Working Denbighshire and landed the role of employment caseworker.

In this role, he helped support vulnerable members of the community in overcoming barriers to employment.

He got a new job in the summer of 2023 and transferred back to the Resettlement Team as a resettlement caseworker.

In that role he helped Ukrainian families secure long-term accommodation across Denbighshire and the UK, providing one-to-one support and facilitating their successful integration into the community.

Over the two years that Illia has been in Denbighshire, he studied alongside his work and achieved his A-levels.

He has now decided to take a gap year before going to university and he wants to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University.

In September 2024, Illia applied for an Integration Officer job within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in London, and after completing the application process and interview, Illia was offered the job.

After spending two years in Denbighshire, Illia left for London this month.

Speaking about his journey, Illia said: "Uncertainty on what the future holds for you can be exhausting, but I think it worked really well for me and my family.

"Since coming to Denbighshire, I have met lots of wonderful people and learnt many new things.

"I am deeply grateful to all British people for supporting Ukraine and its people when we needed it so much."

Ann Lloyd, head of adult social care and homelessness service, said: "The language barrier was the main challenge Ukrainian families faced when they first arrived in the UK, and Illia has helped immensely with this.

"His work with us at the council has allowed for a number of families to now live safely."