The room, named Helvellyn, has been generously sponsored by the family of Veronica, a pupil whose journey to Windermere began during one of the most difficult times in her life.

In 2022, as war escalated in Ukraine, 16-year-old Veronica found herself adrift. Her world—her school, her city, and her closest friendships—was suddenly gone. Having fled Donetsk once before in 2014, this second displacement brought with it a painful clarity. At sixteen, she fully understood the scale of the loss and the weight her family carried.

Determined to find a new path forward, Veronica took matters into her own hands. She began writing to schools in the UK, driven by the hope that someone might believe in her and offer her a future. When the offer from Windermere School arrived, it brought an overwhelming sense of relief and joy—not only to her, but to her entire family. As her father Oleg recalls, “For the first time in months, she saw a future again.”

A photo from the airport on the day of her departure captures the emotion of that moment. It marked Veronica’s first solo journey—an act of courage that led her into a completely new chapter of life.

Though the beginning was daunting, by the end of her first term, Veronica was thriving. She embraced her learning, formed friendships with students from around the world, and spoke of her teachers not only as educators but as mentors. Most importantly, during her time at Windermere she discovered her passion: a future in medicine, combining her interests in psychology and chemistry.

Oleg says, “My wife and I often say, only half-jokingly, that we envy her—in the best possible way. She had the chance to study in a school we could only dream of as children, or see in films.”

The naming of Helvellyn is more than a gesture—it is a tribute to resilience, opportunity, and the power of education to transform lives. We are deeply grateful to Veronica’s family for choosing to honour their experience in this way. Their story reminds us all why the Windermere community—and our bursary programme—matters so much.

Would you like to leave your mark on Windermere School?

We still have a number of new rooms available to sponsor as part of our Browhead redevelopment project. Each room can be named after a Lake District place that holds personal meaning to you, and will include a personalised plaque as part of your legacy.

If you are interested in sponsoring a room and helping us shape the future for generations to come, please contact Jo Gaskin at jgaskin@windermereschool.co.uk.

Together, we can make a lasting difference.