The journey of our Svitlo students started on 17 July, when they arrived at International House for the first time, they were overwhelmed with emotions. Students received their timetable and the next day they had their first English class and met new people.

They were also leaving campus to spend time at historic places such as London, Brighton, Winchester and Reading! 

Many of us have heard of the famous London, but we offer a historical minute about other cities that Kate and David visited.

Brighton —  is a city of diverse historical attractions and traditional seaside resort entertainment. There is Brighton Pier, the Royal Pavilion and an abundance of sandy beaches. The Royal Pavilion was formerly the royal residence of Prince George, who later became Prince Regent and George IV. It is not typical of English architecture of the Regency period. And Brighton Pier was built in 1899.

Winchester — located 19 kilometers from the Channel coast and Southampton harbour. Famous for its history and architecture, Winchester Cathedral surpasses all medieval churches in Europe in the length of its nave (170 metres). It was on the outskirts of this city, in Winchester Castle in the hall where, according to later legend, the Knights of the Round Table gathered at King Arthur's table!

Reading — was founded in 871. The outstanding British vocalist and composer David Byron, who is known worldwide mainly as the frontman of the legendary prog-rock band Uriah Heep, lived in a private house in the Reading district of Sonning. Reading is one of the largest towns in the United Kingdom that does not have city status. (Interesting fact, city status in the UK can be associated with having a cathedral. However, in recent decades, city status has been granted following a structured decision-making process.)

There were many activities at the camp and the time was always spent in a good way. Kate played music melodiously on the piano, and David presented a great costume in one of the competitions. It brought a lot of fun and unforgettable memories. Learning English, visiting towns in England and team building activities had brought teenagers from different parts of the world together.

We asked travelers to tell us about their time spent at the camp and suggest reading:

‍The camp was so cool that it's hard to describe everything. It was a very significant two weeks of my life. The experience, the people, the nature, the architecture, the energy, the emotions, the feeling of some kind of freedom, lightness, etc. I am soooo grateful to Svitlo School for this. When you live in a war, time somehow passes very quickly for you, because you cannot fully relax. These feelings of constant stress and fear for your life do not leave you alone. I didn't even really think about it before the camp, but after it, I started to appreciate this life and every moment more. And in England, every moment was valuable, and it was very important to live in the moment. And that's what helped me become more self-aware and more appreciative of my life. — Kate

The journey to the camp is a very interesting event in itself. I traveled for two days. Yes, yes 2 days, and I travelled alone. I liked the camp very much, it met my expectations, both from the camp territory and from the classes, excursions and entertainment. I entered one of the first competitions as if I had been preparing for it. I met very interesting and diverse people. The journey back was not boring either. I was traveling back with three girls from Svitlo. In summary, it was very interesting, useful and unforgettable. I am very proud of Svitlo and that I am a part of it. — David

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