The First Lady of Ukraine, together with the team of the Olena Zelenska Foundation and British philanthropist Lord Ashcroft, visited Borodianka. Soon, thanks to the Foundation’s initiative, construction will begin on a new children's creative and sports center to replace the one destroyed by a direct hit from a Russian aerial bomb at the start of the full-scale invasion. The original center housed dozens of clubs and sports sections attended by over 2,000 children.
Currently, the entire teaching staff of the center (52 people) continues working with children in general education institutions across the community. More than 30 clubs from the center are still operational, serving 1,250 students.
"Lord Ashcroft has become one of our partners, and we are grateful for his incredible support and understanding of the importance of such projects. This is not just about rebuilding—it is an investment in the future of our children," said Olena Zelenska.
The Foundation’s team developed the technical plans for the new center in collaboration with its teachers. The new facility will be safe and accessible, offering a wide range of clubs and sports activities, including football, volleyball, basketball, dance, aeromodelling, and robotics.
"I am deeply grateful to the First Lady of Ukraine for inviting me to Borodianka during such difficult times for the country. She introduced me to the development of the children's creative and sports center and explained the impact this project will have on the town, which was so brutally bombed by Russian invaders three years ago," said Lord Michael Ashcroft.
The collaboration between the Olena Zelenska Foundation and Lord Ashcroft began a year ago in London. He has been supporting projects aimed at helping Ukrainian children affected by the war.
"This is already the second initiative of the Foundation supported by Lord Ashcroft. Thanks to his financial assistance, we have already modernized the bacteriological laboratory at the Children's Medical Center in Lviv. Today, it provides high-quality diagnostics for children from all over Ukraine, including those with severe illnesses," added the Foundation’s director, Nina Horbachova.
The Foundation has secured three international partners for the reconstruction of the children's creative and sports center in Borodianka. In addition to Lord Ashcroft (Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC), the project’s donors include the Temerty Foundation and the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation.
Construction is set to begin in March this year.
