Ukrainian families who have settled in Worcestershire enjoyed a day of sport and friendship, thanks to Malvern College.
The school gave the Malvern branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) free use of its playing fields to hold a ‘sports day’ for children and adults. It is the first time the branch has put on an event for whole families.
Malvern College has also donated £2,000 to the branch, which has established a weekend school for children of Ukrainian descent to help them learn about their country and their native language.
AUGB is the largest representative body for Ukrainians and those of Ukrainian descent in the UK.
Malvern College pupils raised the money through donations from non-uniform days and proceeds from the Sixth Form Charity Ball.
Nataliia Kuchmak, Chair of the Malvern Branch of AUGB, who fled the war in Ukraine, said: “I want to say a big thank you to Malvern College for their support and help. The money raised will be directed to the needs of children at school, covering our rent and developing our sports, music, and art school.
“The children get wonderful emotions during these lessons, which help them forget about the terrible scenes of war in Ukraine. This is the main goal of our volunteer teachers – for children to have a calm, happy childhood with reduced stress, and to grow and be educated without forgetting their traditions, customs, and culture.”
Keith Metcalfe, Headmaster at Malvern College, said: “It was a delight to welcome Ukrainian families to our school to use our sports field and we are delighted they had such a good day.
“We’re also very proud of our pupils for raising an amazing sum which will help Ukrainian children retain their cultural identity while living in Malvern and the surrounding area. This is a great example of the role models we want our pupils to be.”
