By Leah Dorotiak, (Лія Доротяк), social media manager at Huddersfield Ukrainian Club
Huddersfield Ukrainian Club teamed up with local volunteers to bring a ‘very British’ afternoon tea to our Ukrainian guests.
Since the invasion of Ukraine began almost four months ago, millions of women and children have desperately fled the country, some of them making their way to safety in Huddersfield.
We have seen our town offer a warm welcome; whether it be through the cultural concert ‘Play for Ukraine’, donating emergency medical equipment, or people opening their homes for the foreseeable future.
On Sunday June 19, the community pulled together again to host a traditional English afternoon tea at the Ukrainian Club. The event was organised by our community members Petro Dorotiak, Rachael Zorniak, Sharon Davis, Tanya Meditzky and Mandy and Ian Cioch.
The event also received fantastic support from the local community with cakes and scones baked by Laura Merriman, Hilary Scholes, The Sons of the North, Nicola’s Gateaux and Karen O’Doherty.
Dark Woods donated freshly ground coffee and Dominique Genty from Taylors of Harrogate donated Yorkshire Tea! Guests enjoyed freshly made sandwiches, cakes, scones, and teapots of tea.
Ulia Lord, a Ukrainian singer/songwriter from Kyiv, also performed. Among many, she also sang the traditional Ukrainian song ‘Chervona Ruta (Червона рута), Chervona Kalynawhich’ has more recently become synonymous with the strong Ukrainian resistance and courage.
Petro Dorotiak, organiser and committee member at Huddersfield Ukrainian Club, said: “The afternoon tea was a fantastic day to show our Ukrainian guests a warm, British welcome to Huddersfield.
“Not just about local treats, it was important to introduce people to others who have also fled Ukraine. Now is the time to create support networks and build friendships in our local communities.”
Mandy Cioch, one of the volunteers, added: “We all worked very hard to give our Ukrainian friends a traditional English afternoon tea. Many local businesses donated amazing cakes and it was wonderful showing our guests scones with jam and clotted cream!”
As well as local council support, there are also several local Facebook groups in Kirklees that provide community support. Their aim is to connect to host families from the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme and provide a network for recently arrived Ukrainians.
The Huddersfield Ukrainian Club has a wide range of resources to help these groups, and they regularly attend local meetings.
Please get in touch with us via social media, or email us at marketing@huddersfieldukrainianclub.co.uk if you require any community support.
