Tributes have been paid to the founder of a Ukrainian Manchester United fan group after the club confirmed his death.
With the devastating conflict in Ukraine still ongoing, the club said it was “deeply saddened” after finding out that Aleksander Kukin, one of the founding members of the Kyiv Reds supporters’ club and a much-admired Manchester United fan, had been killed after his car was shot at by Russian forces.
According to a statement by the Kyiv Reds on Monday (21 March), Aleksander’s wife and daughter were also in the vehicle at the time, and were caught in the crossfire, but survived the tragedy, and have since undergone operations in hospital.
“We send our heartfelt condolences for their loss and best wishes for their recovery, as they attempt to deal with these awful events,” Manchester United said.
The United family joins our #KyivReds in mourning the sad loss of Aleksander Kukin.
The Kyiv Reds began all the way back in 2002, and Aleksander was said to have been “instrumental” in its creation.
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In recent years, the club says that family commitments meant Aleksander could not commit as much of his time to the supporters’ club as he did previously, but his enthusiasm still remained, and a recent photo shared by the group showed him enjoying the 4-2 win over Leeds just a few weeks before the end of his life.
Since his passing, supporters have taken to social media to pay tribute to Kukin’s “energy and passion” for Manchester United.
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One fan, Ivan, wrote: “He used to take me to games in the local pub in Kyiv and drive me home after the midweek games when I was a kid. [He] posted my United articles on [the] Ukrainian Reds website and helped the growth of that movement nearly single-handedly, paying from his own pocket. Great great man.”
The Kyiv Reds began all the way back in 2002, and Aleksander was said to have been “instrumental” in its creation / Credit: Kyiv Reds
Another fan wrote: “RIP to our fellow red.
“Praying for his wife and daughter to be okay and to get through the horrible circumstances forced upon them that they have had to face recently.”
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Manchester United says it is exploring a number of ways in which it can “offer its support” to both Aleksander’s family and the Kyiv Reds.
Everyone in England can now get FREE careers advice as part of a new Government scheme
Emily Sergeant
People all across the country now have the ability to access support from dedicated career advisers completely free of charge.
That’s because, for the first time ever, the full range of support previously offered by the National Careers Service will be available through Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) under the Government, creating a more joined-up service for people at every stage of their career.
Around 500 qualified careers advisers have joined the DWP, it has been confirmed, and they will provide expert careers information, advice, and guidance alongside the existing employment and skills support that are already available through Jobcentres.
But the key is here, the free careers support will be available to everyone – regardless of whether they claim benefits.
The services are set to be accessed either online, over the phone, or through face-to-face appointments at Jobcentres, giving people a single place to access the advice they need to take their next step.
As mentioned, these new services are part of the wider reforms the Government says it is taking to ‘give everyone the opportunity to succeed’.
These reforms include £2.5 billion of youth employment support, and £3.5 billion investment in employment support for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions.
Support can be accessed online via the Get Careers Information and Advice page HERE, as well as through the freephone service on 0800 072 0288.
Face-to-face appointments will then be available in Jobcentres later this month.
Featured Image – Vitaly Gariev (via Unsplash)
News
Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
Emily Sergeant -
23rd March 2022 
