Wealden councillors celebrate Ukraine Independence Day

Ukraine Independence Day was marked across Wealden this week with civic dignitaries joining in with celebrations.

Wealden District Council chairman Ron Reed and Councillor Ray Cade attended an event at the Union Church in Heathfield to meet Ukrainian refugees who have made their home in the area and mark Ukraine Independence Day, which commemorates the day Ukraine officially became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Alicky Denton organised the event alongside Vicky Martin, the pastor of the church. There were poems, speeches and food which included fish dishes, salads, and stuffed pancakes.

The Union Church regularly hosts coffee mornings to help integrate the Ukrainian residents into Heathfield and to give them a community hub.

As of last week, more than 542 Ukrainian residents are now living in Wealden and another 400 are expected to arrive in the coming months. The Wealden district is hosting the largest amount of refugees in East Sussex, compared to surrounding local authorities.

Councillor Ray Cade, portfolio holder for housing and waste, said, “Many of the Ukrainian refugees who have moved to Wealden have come with little, or no possessions and many have had to leave family members and friends behind. The chairman and I wanted to come along to show support and welcome the new residents.” 

Ron Reed, the chairman of Wealden District Council, added, “I would like to thank Alicky, the organiser of the event for inviting us along and the Ukrainian residents for sharing their culture with us. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”

Those interested in becoming sponsors for the Homes for Ukraine scheme can find out more information and record their interest online: https://www.gov.uk/register-interest-homes-ukraine

Those interested in finding somebody to host can contact recognised providers listed online who help provide support and guidance on becoming a sponsor: 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/recognised-providers-organisations-who-can-help-uk-citizens-become-sponsors