Coffee morning helps to bring community together
The culture and heritage of Ukraine was celebrated at a special fundraising event.
There was traditional food and clothing and home-made crafts on sale at the coffee morning held by the European Welfare Association at Shireland Biomedical UTC in West Bromwich.
The event on Saturday, December 3 was a way of bringing together the members of the Ukrainian community that had grown in the area since the start of the war and also raise funds towards the opening of a new Ukrainian Supplementary School in West Bromwich.
Community advisor Irina Oshenye helped to organise the event and said it had been a wonderful way of bringing the community together to have some fun.
She said: "A lot of the people who came, who are Ukrainian refugees, baked various cakes which we sold to the public, and we had a fair and did a tombola, with presents donated from ASDA and New Beginnings.
"We managed to raise around £510, which was fantastic for the event, and people came in traditional outfits and it was really nice to see them come together and enjoy a peaceful gathering.
"It's all about bringing a bit of normalcy for them and show them that they can share their culture and be really proud of where they are from."
Ms Oshenye said the Association worked with 23 Ukrainian families who had arrived in the area, supporting them with wraparound care and helping them to find homes after they had completed six months with their hosts.
She said the new Ukrainian Supplementary school would be a big part of the process for the families when it opens in January.
She said: "It is very necessary for the children, who were not prepared for changing their country and their lives and it will help with their self identity and be proud of being Ukrainian and being able to speak in their language and preserve their culture."
