UKRAINIANS living in Ilkley and surrounding villages joined together to organise a celebration evening to thank all the people who have welcomed them.

The event took place at the Clarke Foley Centre, Ilkley, on August 24 - Ukraine Independence Day - an important day for Ukrainians at home and abroad, marking their independence as a sovereign state over 30 years ago.

There are currently over 70 guests from all regions of Ukraine, including 20 children, living with some 35 host families from Ilkley, and the immediate area.

As well as inviting their host families they extended invitations to representatives of the various support organisations. This included All Saints and Christchurch who have run regular coffee mornings with activities for the children, with language classes and advice on hand. Volunteer teachers have offered their services setting up English classes, others have offered practical help with things, such as school uniforms. Members of the Hub group of ISSUE (Ilkley and Surrounds Support Ukrainian Evacuees), which was set up to assist in the coordination of support in the area, were invited to support the event.

Roles were reversed on Wednesday evening, when Ukrainian guests became hosts for the night. The Clarke Foley Centre offered the venue at no charge, and it was beautifully decorated in the national colours of blue and yellow. Delicious Ukrainian bread was provided by Lialikova Olena with a further variety of dishes prepared by Tetiana Matiusha and her 20 strong team. Glasses of wine and cold squash awaited the invitees.

A full programme of entertainment was organised by the Ukrainian group, led by Larisa Korol, and was brilliantly compered by Diana Soroka in English and Ukrainian. West Yorkshire Deputy Lieutenant Suzanne Watson and Ilkley Town Councillor Peter Mate opened the evening. The programme began with the Ukraine National Anthem sung by all the children in national costume, which brought the whole room to their feet.

A film and soundtrack took the room on a tour of the port of Odessa, Lviv and the capital city of Kyiv, the Carpathian Mountains and the fields of grain.

Children then entertained with poetry and song. They also performed a national dance which received great applause and 11-year-old, Kamilla Bespalova choreographed her own interpretation of a poignant song about the plight of Ukraine and the importance of love. The woodwind section of the Two Rivers band and ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ also entertained with music and song. Both groups have members who are hosting Ukrainian guests. Anna Tsurkan entertained with songs and presentations, and Anna Anistratenko and Sophie Pitcairn, sang the powerful and moving Adele/Dylan song ‘Make You Feel My Love’.

The audience learnt about the traditions and culture of the Ukraine throughout the evening which ended with a presentation to host families of traditional Ukrainian ‘Motanka’ winding dolls, hand-made by a small group of Ukrainian women.

Gatherings for hosts and guests have been taking place for some months at All Saints and Christchurch, but this was the first time some Ukrainian families and children had met each other face-to-face.

Suzanne Watson said: “It was an immense privilege to represent the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire and Her Majesty The Queen at our local community’s Ukrainian Independence Day Celebrations. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet many of the hosts who are providing sanctuary to Ukrainian families including children, parents and grandparents and to speak with the many local volunteers who are offering their time to teach English and provide many additional means of support.

“The warmth and heartfelt welcome was matched by a fierce determination to not only survive but to thrive here in Ilkley, Addingham and Burley and I was inspired by stories of teenagers still undertaking their studies remotely in Kyiv and of finding new employment here in West Yorkshire, all the while supporting their parents and grandparents in learning English and adapting to British culture. While some in the room were separated from husbands, fathers and sons, the collective unity and strength was clear to see, and the entire evening was a powerful reflection of the Ukrainian people’s commitment to continued independence and of our local Ukrainian community’s resilience and devotion to each other, and to their country.”