Mail readers fund dream day with painting and games for refugee children who fled war in Ukraine
Brightly dressed in the blue and yellow of Ukraine, they are war children who have found new hope in the cities and towns of Britain.
And these battle-scarred young people are being taught to ‘dream again’ in every corner of Britain – courtesy of Mail Force.
They were given refuge here after escaping hell Russia‘s invasion of their homeland.
Many were deeply traumatized, either by experiencing the fighting or by suffering the misery of being torn from their homes and having to move urgently to a new country.
These battle-scarred young people are being taught to ‘dream again’ in every corner of Britain – courtesy of Mail Force. In the photo, manager Irena Creeger with students and staff during the open day on Saturday
They were given refuge here after fleeing the hell of the Russian invasion of their homeland
This weekend they came together for lively events to help them settle in Britain
St Mary’s has set up schemes across the country to pay bilingual Ukrainian teachers
Events were also organized in Glasgow, Richmond, Hillingdon and Amersham
This weekend they came together for lively events to help them settle in Britain. In Woking, Berkshire, refugee children danced the hopak – a Ukrainian folk dance – played chess and created colorful works of art.
In Tunbridge Wells, Ukrainian refugees from across the county of Kent came to meet and play games. Events were also showcased GlasgowRichmond, Hillingdon and Amersham.
They were organized by St Mary’s Ukrainian School, which is part-funded by generous Mail readers who donated to our Mail Force Ukraine Appeal. Mail Force is helping to fund the ‘I Can Dream Again’ initiative to provide psychological support to Ukrainian schoolchildren.
They were organized by St Mary’s Ukrainian School, which is partly funded by generous Mail readers who donated to our Mail Force Ukraine Appeal.
In Tunbridge Wells, Ukrainian refugees from across the county of Kent came to meet and play games
Mail Force helps fund ‘I Can Dream Again’ initiative to provide psychological support to Ukrainian schoolchildren
Headteacher Inna Hryhorovych said: ‘This weekend’s open days were dedicated to promoting the wellbeing of children who have experienced displacement and war. They were held to celebrate happy childhoods and create a space where dreams can be rekindled.”
St Mary’s has set up programs across the country to pay for bilingual Ukrainian teachers, known as education support workers, to go into classrooms and help refugee children settle into British schools, although not all local authorities have signed on.
Mrs Hryhorovych said: “Tunbridge Wells and Woking do fantastic work, supporting up to 100 children each. Woking in particular has united the Ukrainian community, and it would be hugely helpful if there were education assistants in mainstream schools to support these children, provided we can secure some funding. Unfortunately, the local government has not yet agreed to cooperate.
‘In Tunbridge Wells, children travel up to 25 miles to get to school because there are no more direct options.’
At the event in Woking, attended by Mail Force Charity trustee Hamish Webb, young mother Victoriia, who fled their home near Kiev with her children aged nine and 15, said: ‘St Mary’s gives my children the opportunity to to meet children. who face the same fears and challenges. After two years we don’t know when we can come back.’
