Ukrainian refugees living in Nottingham have spoken out about how they want to do something “useful” in the city to say thank you to those that have helped them since fleeing the war. Now they are fundraising for their hometown whilst navigating their way through a different country.
Using an unused ward as a collection point at the City Hospital, since March, head organiser Ann Vickers, 55 and from Woodthorpe, has been collecting donations. With lorries being sent to Ukraine on a weekly basis, Ann has met many refugees who have fled to Nottingham from the on-going Russian invasion in Ukraine, including 36-year-old Yevheniia Myronenko.
Yevheniia Myronenko has had an education in architecture and has previously worked as an art teacher and journalist. Now Yevheniia, whose family remain in Ukraine, is putting her energy into helping organise a charity dinner with famous Ukrainian chef, Yevhen Klopotenko, who won Ukraine’s MasterChef in 2015.
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In a five-day stay in the UK, Yevhen Klopotenko has allocated a day to come to Nottingham to cook for a high-end charity dinner. The chef will be in Nottingham on Tuesday, November 22.
Yevheniia, who moved to Kiev a year ago, spoke about the importance of the event and how she’s using it as an opportunity to stop thinking about the life threatening reality her family are in. She said: “We are here because we decided we had to escape from war, I want to do something really useful here.
“We’re waiting for news from my family, I don’t know where they can catch Wifi there so I’m waiting. I’m worried, I’m sick of crying and the event is something positive to do.”
Yevheniia is being hosted by a family in Nottingham. Speaking of how thankful she is, she said: “Britain has done a lot to help us. Maybe some people can’t say thank you because it’s lost in translation but I’m thankful. I live in a house with a great couple for free, I couldn’t imagine doing it without help.”
Yeveniia spoke about how Russia has colonised many things in Ukraine - even the food. Borscht is a type of soup that originates from Ukraine. Russia claimed the soup originated from them, Yeveniia said.
Yeveniia said: “Russia has lied about history and they have lied about everything. Ukraine is really, really big, it’s not a young country, it’s an old nation even with our foods like Borscht, Russia claims it is theirs but it’s not. The event is important because we can show British people our culture and how beautiful our food is and our music and we can organise a high end event.”
After securing top chef Yevhen Klopotenko at the last minute, Ann, Yevheniia and other volunteers are still waiting for a venue to be confirmed. To raise money, tickets to the event will be £75 per head which will cover a six course menu, reception drinks and wine.
Ann Vickers, who has been taking in donations to send to Ukraine since March also created a Facebook group, City Hub Ukraine, to further update people on what donations are needed and share information about the war. Ann and volunteers collect and sort through donations Monday-Saturday on a rotational rota basis.
Ann spoke about how the premises came into being used. Originally, Ann had been helping donations being collected at a building site in Colwick. She said: “The hospital had been collecting from all the departments and with volunteers we offered to get their donations shipped to Ukraine as they had no way of doing so. We asked the hospital if we could stay to collect donations as the building was disused and they said yes.
“Mariupol is one of the worst bombed areas and one of the refugees I’ve met when speaking to her there was so much pain coming out of her. I’ve met refugees and they’re traumatised. One girl was up in her sister's apartment in Ukraine, they thought they’d be safe but after seeing the apartment block opposite them explode, she knew she needed to get out."
“When the girls first come you see the pain and trauma and now they’re here, they’re totally different.” Ann explained it was the refugees' idea to contact the top chef to arrive in Nottingham soon. She vowed to do everything she could to help.
Ann continued: “We’ve been struggling with a venue but we’ll do it, I want to do it for them, to give them some hope.”
Milita Kompaniiets, 27, has also fled from Ukraine. Speaking about her city, she said: “It’s a beautiful city. Ukraine has so many famous people who have done good stuff and other people wouldn’t know.
“We have men playing in football clubs and, in Dnipro, they’ve made rockets for NASA but no-one knows about that, it’s a modern city and we want to share our culture with Britain.”
Both Milita and Yevheniia are uncertain as to how long they’ll be staying in the UK but have said they’re wanting to “give and not take.” Donations Ann and other volunteers are in need of include: nappies, baby wipes, formula, bottles, comforters, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, powerful torches, batteries, sleeping bags, cuddly toys, paracetamol, plasters, bandages and more.
For more information on the November 22 event, and to purchase a ticket, you can contact: cityhubukraine22@gmail.com. People can also contact the same email address to discuss other donations needed to drop off at the Minster Building on the City Hospital grounds.
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