The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain was formed in 1946 and registered as an organisation in the UK in 1947. Bradford branch was formed in 1947, the same year that Andrij Kalyta and his wife became the first Ukrainians to settle in the city. AUGB opened a branch building at 13 Claremont Street, Great Horton Road, in spring 1950. It was significant as it was the first AUGB building outside London and Surrey (49 Linden Gardens and Sydenhurst at Chiddingfold had already been...

The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain was formed in 1946 and registered as an organisation in the UK in 1947. Bradford branch was formed in 1947, the same year that Andrij Kalyta and his wife became the first Ukrainians to settle in the city.

AUGB opened a branch building at 13 Claremont Street, Great Horton Road, in spring 1950. It was significant as it was the first AUGB building outside London and Surrey (49 Linden Gardens and Sydenhurst at Chiddingfold had already been purchased and were in use as an administrative centre and invalid’s home respectively). The community has fundraised for two years to raise the £2,950 to buy the property which was intended to serve the 1,000 or so Ukrainians living in Bradford and its environs.

The building was located near to the city centre, a short walk from the main bus station, making it accessible by public transport. It has 12 rooms with enough space for the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM) and the Former Combatants Association (ObVU) to carry out activities. There was also a reading room and accommodation for overnight stays, as well as rooms for meetings and administrative work.

In 1956, the Lyman social club was opened at the centre, so that the community had a space to relax and mix socially, as well as creating a way to help finance the various community activities. The community continued to grow as the first generation settled down and started to have families. Provision of increased with the creation of the Ukrainian Saturday School in 1953. In 1959, 15 Claremont Street was purchased and in 1962, planning permission was granted for a new hall on the back of the Claremont Street buildings. This was opened on 22nd January, 1966 by branch chairperson Mykhailo Rewilak.

However, by the late 1970s, the community had outgrown the cultural centre, and new a new property called Westfield on Legrams Lane was purchased for £65,000. After much building and refurbishment, the core of the cultural centre opened on 2nd May, 1981. The site continued to be developed and a new school and school hall were opened on 27th August, 1983 and a main hall with a capacity of 550 was opened on 3rd March, 1984. In the early 2000s, a football pitch was added.

Born 9th July, 1943 in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Serhiy Komisarenko was educated at the Kyiv Medical Institute and Kyiv University. He worked at the Palladian Institute of Biochemistry at the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences from 1966, becoming its director in 1992. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine from 1990 to 1992, when he was appointed at the first Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the UK. He became ambassador for Ireland in 1995 and served in both roles until 1998. He stood as a candidate in the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election.