‘An inspiration and a true local hero’

Master’s is child’s play for hero who holps orphans in Ukraine 

Gavin Menzies, a 38-year-old from Carrick Knowe, has graduated with a Master’s degree in Play Therapy from Queen Margaret University. His journey to this achievement is remarkable, as he put his career and studies on hold to help people in Ukraine during the war. 

Within weeks of the full-scale Russian invasion, Gavin travelled to Kyiv to support children who had lost their families and to provide end-of-life care to the elderly. Despite the risks, he was determined to alleviate the suffering of those caught in the conflict. 

Before his involvement in Ukraine, Gavin ran support businesses for children in Edinburgh. The pandemic highlighted the complex challenges faced by the children he worked with, prompting him to study the MSc Play Therapy at Queen Margaret University.

This course, run in collaboration with the specialist play therapy organisation With Kids, equipped him with the skills to better support young people. Due to his volunteering in Ukraine and his local commitments, he studied the course part-time over three years. 

Since the full-scale invasion, Gavin has made several trips to Ukraine to provide vital supplies. During his time there, he supplied clothing, supplies and Christmas presents to over 600 orphans in Odessa.  

Once home in Edinburgh, Gavin continued to provide vital support to the orphaned group of children by maintaining their extraordinary connection online. His volunteering also allowed him to apply the knowledge gained from his course to enhance his ability to serve children with complex needs in his local community. 

As a former player with the Pleasance Basketball Club, Gavin uses sport to give children a head start in life. His High Flyers Basketball Academy has grown to provide coaching to 300 kids across Edinburgh and the Lothians. 

Gavin opted to use the last year to focus on his Master’s course to ensure that he was better qualified to support his groups of children.

This July, he graduated from Queen Margaret University with a MA Play Therapy with merit. However, the ongoing plight of the Ukrainian people weighed heavily on his mind.

Now with his Master’s degree firmly under his belt, he has returned to Ukraine and is currently working to rebuild and revamp the orphanage in Odessa and volunteer in Kharkiv, where Russian forces have made gains these last few months.

He has just delivered supplies to a medical representative at an outpost in Kharkiv, and in the last few days, he has also been supporting orphans in Kyiv while drone attacks and bombing takes place all around them. 

Sir Paul Grice, Principal of Queen Margaret University, said: “Gavin’s selfless dedication to supporting the next generation through sport is what ultimately motivated him to come to QMU and study the MSc Play Therapy.

“Gavin’s drive and determination to make a positive impact on people’s lives epitomises the values of QMU. He is an inspiration and a true local hero.” 

Gavin received his Master’s award at a graduation ceremony attended by QMU’s Chancellor, Dame Prue Leith CBE.

He has now secured a position as a play therapist with the charity With Kids, and continues to blend this work with his holiday camps and basketball clubs, while still volunteering in Ukraine.