Three Ukrainian refuges launch appeal to fund children's activity hub in Redditch
They established and run Creative Carousel.
Three Ukrainian creatives, displaced by the war, are appealing for funding to secure the future of a new children’s activity club they launched in Redditch.
Friends Tetiana Volikova, Yana Tyshyna and Svitlana Vasylieva established and run Creative Carousel with the support of Redditch and Kingfisher Rotary Club.
After meeting through the BRWR (Bromsgrove and Redditch Welcome Refugee Group) they realised their passions and skills as a vocal coach, artist and choreographer aligned and so set about building Creative Carousel- a children's recreational and development club.
But now the team need to replenish their depleted £9,900 grant from Redditch Borough Council which has only funded the first four months.
The three ladies all resettled in Redditch a few weeks after the outbreak of the aggression, being forced to flee with their children to Poland and Turkey, before finding sponsor families in Worcestershire.
It is hoped a free Heritage Fun Day on September 13th will also help showcase the Club which, they say, offers a unique blend of UK and Ukrainian teaching methods and after-school care.
The event takes place at St Laurence Church and the Ark between 11am-2pm, when members of the team will be on hand to talk about the Club.
There will also be a host of family fun on offer, including church and tower tours, prize draws, games, live performances, face painting and food stalls.
For Tetiana, Svitlana and Yana, Creative Carousel marks a return to the work they love - but were forced to leave behind - in their homeland.
Tetiana said: “I took some important stuff for me, such as my gadgets to stay connected, and minimal clothes.
"We had two travel bags between the three of us.
"My biggest aim was to stay calm, not to stress or scare my daughter”.
"I left my entire life behind. Suddenly you have no hopes, no aims, no decisions.
"You can’t plan anything. But I have shed all my tears and now am embracing life over here and trying to be positive.
“Life has to go on. I have responsibilities. I had my family and my community. I needed to do something, to make a change.
"I can't stop the war. I can't make decisions for other people, so I decided to try to focus on what I'm doing here, and that's why Creative Carousel came about.
"We decided to develop something here similar to what we all used to do.”