A St Nicholas Day celebration for Ukrainian families uprooted from their homes and now living in Newcastle was hosted by the Civic Centre.
This event was held on Monday in order to give the Ukrainian children a party and a present which they might not get otherwise receive.
The families were joined by some of their hosts to celebrate together, and the event included Ukrainian music, food, face painting, arts and crafts and a Santa who gave gifts to the children.
The event was chosen due to its links to the Ukrainian festive season. Santa Claus is known as St Nicholas and his day in Ukraine on December 19 sees the giving of presents to children and marks the beginning of the holiday season. It is known as Magic Night and is a universal children's festival.
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Diana Isarenko came straight to Newcastle through the Government's Ukrainian Family Scheme with her son Timuro. However, there were problems in the personal lives of her host family and they could not take her in. She was then in a hostel for about a month before a flat was found for the two of them.
Diana shared the impact the kindness of the people of the North East had on her and her son.
"Everything has been really positive since we got settled and everyone has been so kind to us. It is great to have an event like this as we know a lot of the people here and we can celebrate together.
"It has been so difficult for a long time now and I felt before we came here that we had to get lucky soon. We have been very fortunate that we have been able to come here and be so well looked after", she said.
Newcastle's Deputy Lord Mayor, Coun Veronica Dunn was also in attendance at the event. and she welcomed the families and guests to the party.
She said: “The war has caused so many casualties and displaced so many from their homes. We thought it was right to celebrate the human resilience which comes from these evil acts - the courage of the mums and their children having to leave their fathers and sons behind, and the compassion of the people of Newcastle who have opened their arms in their hour of darkness.
“Christmas is especially a time for children, and we hope all children will be able to enjoy Christmas. We wish our Ukrainian guests, peace and joy at Christmas and pray that the war will end soon."
This special event comes after a similar one was organised by the council in August to mark Ukrainian Independence Day. In a very poignant moment, the flag of Ukraine was raised above the Civic Centre as a choir sang in the background.
Coun Lesley Storey, cabinet member for a Vibrant City said: “Newcastle is a City of Sanctuary with a proud track record of helping people persecuted or fleeing war. It is no surprise that so many of our residents stepped forward and opened their homes to these mothers and their children, but something we should never forget or take for granted.
"The council organised this event to say thank you to all those host families and let the people of Ukraine know we continue to offer them our love, support and solidarity."
The council also hosts fortnightly drop-in sessions for Ukrainian families, as well as arts and crafts sessions that aim to bring people together and offer an escape from the stress and worry of the ongoing conflict.
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