A vibrant Family Day was held in Newcastle to celebrate International Children’s Day, the Day of the Family and Father’s Day.
The event brought together Ukrainian families, community representatives, volunteers and friends of Ukraine around shared values of family, mutual support, Ukrainian culture and helping others.
It was a warm and joyful day filled with children’s laughter, creativity, meaningful conversations and a strong sense of community. Ukrainian families came together to support one another, make new connections and create happy memories for both children and parents.
The programme included Ukrainian music, songs and dancing, creative art workshops, painting and decoration activities, cookie baking, face painting, active games, competitions and refreshments.
During the cultural part of the event, guests spoke about local Ukrainian talents and watched the Ukrainian short film Touch and See. We sincerely thank Taras Dron for the opportunity to share this meaningful creative work with the community.
Blood Solidarity and blood donation in the UK
An important part of Family Day was the presentation of Blood Solidarity, a project delivered by Ukrainian House UK CIC with the support of The National Lottery Community Fund.
Anatolii Shalaiev, Director of Communications at Ukrainian House UK CIC, delivered an informative presentation explaining how to become a blood donor in the United Kingdom.
He guided participants through the main stages of the process, including registration, finding a local blood donation centre, booking an appointment and preparing for a blood donation.
The presentation provided Ukrainian community members with clear and accessible information and helped answer common questions about blood donation in the UK.
Professor Ruslan Panchyshyn, Managing Director of Ukrainian House UK CIC, Doctor of Law and a Ukrainian war veteran, spoke about the social importance of blood donation and explained why becoming a donor is an honourable and meaningful act.
He emphasised that blood donation is a powerful expression of humanity, solidarity and responsibility towards people whose lives may depend on donated blood.
The discussion was particularly timely as National Blood Donor Week was taking place, encouraging people across the country to recognise the contribution of existing donors and consider registering as new blood donors.
Through the Blood Solidarity project, Ukrainian House UK CIC aims to provide Ukrainian communities with trusted and accessible information, encourage more people to register as donors and strengthen connections between Ukrainian and British communities through volunteering and acts of solidarity.
Creating the “Courage” artwork
Another meaningful part of the event was the collective creation of an artwork titled Courage for Refugee Week.
Each participant added their own image, symbol or memory of Ukraine. Together, these individual contributions formed a shared picture representing strength, resilience, identity and unity.
The artwork demonstrated that, even while living far from home, Ukrainians continue to preserve their culture, memories and emotional connection with Ukraine while building new lives and communities in the United Kingdom.
A celebration for children, families and fathers
Family Day was also an opportunity to recognise the importance of parents and fathers in children’s lives.
The event celebrated the love, care and support that families provide, especially during periods of displacement, uncertainty and adaptation to life in a new country.
It created a welcoming space where children could have fun, parents could communicate and families could feel connected to the wider Ukrainian community.
The greatest reward was seeing happy children, smiling parents and families enjoying meaningful time together.
Our thanks
We sincerely thank Iryna Orshak for the invitation, the excellent organisation of Family Day and the warm welcome.
Her commitment and hard work helped create a safe, joyful and welcoming environment where Ukrainian families could come together, communicate, celebrate and support one another.
We also thank Ukrainian Community Group NE for its important work supporting Ukrainians in Newcastle and for giving Ukrainian House UK CIC the opportunity to present the Blood Solidarity project.
A special and heartfelt thank you goes to Lesia, who kindly provided accommodation for the Ukrainian House UK CIC representatives.
Her generosity, care and Ukrainian hospitality made the visit more comfortable and once again demonstrated the strength of mutual support within our community.
We are grateful to everyone who attended Family Day, participated in the activities and contributed to the warm and friendly atmosphere.
Events like this remind us how important it is to remain connected, support families, preserve Ukrainian culture and work together for the benefit of others.
We look forward to future meetings, partnerships and community initiatives.
Blood Solidarity is supported by The National Lottery Community Fund.