Ukraine has been an independent state since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. At the time of writing, and according to data collated by the United Nations, there have already been almost 3,000 civilian casualties, more than eleven million refugees fleeing the hostilities, and over £400m given in UK aid alone. As the fighting continues, more and more doors are opening up across Britain from individuals and families welcoming those trying to escape the conflict. Dozens of charities throughout the UK have raised huge sums of money in support of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Social media is awash with fundraising pages illustrating ways in which we can do our bit to help. Local businesses and everyday people are all also getting involved, from sporting events and quiz nights, to auctions, charity concerts and lottery raffles. And some are baking cakes. Nadia Clay is a former Ukrainian national and at the end of March she held a bake sale in the centre of Cuckfield. She, her Slovakian friend, Zoya Karcova, and her eldest son Max helped to raise over £1,000 for the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Apart from Zoya and her baking a lot of cakes, many were also kindly donated by local people as well as parents of pupils attending Holy Trinity school. “I have so many people to thank and don’t quite know where to start. The list is long and rather than thank people individually I’d just like to say, ‘thank you so much to everyone who got involved and to all those who turned out on the day; you know who you are’.”
Nadia has lived in the UK for over eight years now. Max went to Warden Park, her youngest son, Alex, still attends Holy Trinity School and was baptised in the local church. Also, she was married in Cuckfield, so she knows the village and the people that live here very well. But Ukraine will always be close to her heart. “There are so many people, especially in Eastern Ukraine, who have fled their homes who now face the challenge of completely rebuilding their lives and starting all over again.”
Nadia grew up in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, 600km west of the capital, Kyiv. “I am from the Oblast Mountain region not too far from the Polish border. It is very green with many unique villages nearby. It is also very close to Bukovel, the largest ski resort in the whole of Ukraine. It is very beautiful there.” Both of Nadia’s parents still live in the Ivano-Frankivsk, and neither one of them wants to leave, even if the fighting spreads. “My father and mother are both elderly now. My dad doesn’t want to leave the home that he’s lived in all of his life. My Mum feels the same way. Every day I worry about them, about not being able to see them again, or my friends. We were supposed to be visiting them later this month but that’s not going to happen now.” The sense of helplessness Nadia feels, not only for her family, but also for the Ukrainian people as a whole is clear.
Even from our quiet corner of Mid Sussex, we must all hope for peace. Plus, of course, there are many ways to support the people of Ukraine, both practically and financially.
