Sunderland Monkwearmouth event celebrates Ukrainian culture

A celebration of Ukrainian culture was held at The Salvation Army to bring the community together and help raise money for those impacted by the war. 

Support for refugees continues to grow at the church and charity in Sunderland Monkwearmouth, which offers a safe space for Ukrainian families to meet, pray and connect with the local community, as well as host special concerts, bilingual worship and holiday activities for children. 

Last month, they held a coffee morning and lunch where guests got to try traditional Ukrainian food, dress up, dance and relax as well as raise money for Ukrainian projects back home. 

Major David McCaw-Aldworth, who leads the Roker Avenue church with his wife Major Elizabeth said: “The coffee morning provides an opportunity not only for Ukrainians to celebrate their culture but for the British community to come and be Ukrainian for the day, to experience the food, music and clothes. 

“The events we host are really important to help the group raise money and to raise the profile of what is happening in the country as other events push it further down the news agenda. They just sent £500 to the children’s hospital in Kyiv after it was recently hit by an airstrike. Half the money is used locally to support the group and the other half is used for projects in Ukraine.” 

The church and community centre has become a hub for refugees from across the North East, not only Sunderland and Newcastle, but people travel from Hartlepool, Peterlee, Durham, Consett and Whitley Bay.

David continued: “There is a regular Ukrainian group meeting on a Sunday, sometimes we get 20 people, other weeks it might be 50. The kids get to mess around and play with each other and the parents can talk and support each other in Ukrainian. 

“We help to fill in the gaps, for example we have been helping one mum with a newborn with milk powder and we’ve provided furniture and different items for people’s homes. With the help of our Employment Plus service, we have had 27 people complete food hygiene certificates, many have been through computer courses and help accessing jobs or English lessons.” 

Marharyta left Ukraine a year into the war with her two sons, now aged 13 and nine, after the constant alarms warning of missiles started to affect her children’s mental state. She helped put on the recent coffee morning and lunch. 

She said: “The Salvation Army gives to us lots of love, friendship, a place to be, and a chance to meet and help each other. Here in England, it’s repairing my son. It was a good choice because it’s a safe and friendly place. 

“At The Salvation Army, every few months we host a coffee morning and lunch, continuing our Ukrainian story in Sunderland, especially the story we make together with The Salvation Army. We share information about our culture, our tradition, our food. We try to introduce people to our country. They can hear our songs and dress up in traditional Ukrainian outfits.” 

Olena made the difficult decision to leave Ukraine with her husband and teenage daughter because of missile attacks in her hometown every night. Some of her family had to stay, including her brother-in-law who is in a prisoner of war camp in Russia. At Sunderland Monkwearmouth Salvation Army, she found a community of Ukrainian friends, she volunteers and has gained qualifications. Olena also helped to host the Ukrainian coffee morning.

She said: “All Ukrainians really appreciate The Salvation Army. They give us a safe place to meet every Sunday. We have tea, and coffee with our Ukrainian friends. Our children can play together. 

“The coffee morning is a nice opportunity for all Ukrainians because we can be part of something, and really enjoy it with our community. We have Ukrainian food, which in my opinion is delicious! Traditional food like borsch (a soup but with beetroot, meat, potatoes, tomato) and sweet and sour pancakes with different fillings.” 

The next coffee morning and lunch will be held on Saturday 7 September and a bilingual service will be held on Sunday 29 September. For more information search for Sunderland Monkwearmouth Salvation Army on Facebook.