Events
Help for Ukrainian Family
Please read Philip and Mich's (Sturley) letter, who have opened their home in Rutland to a Ukrainian family ....
Dear Father Stephen,
Our Ukrainian mother, Olena and her 4year old son Artem arrived on Tuesday evening and are settling in to their new way of life with us in Whitwell. They are a truly amazing and plucky pair who arrived with almost nothing and placed their trust and their safety in our hands.
We have offered them a peaceful and welcoming home with us for as long as they need us. We respect their need for independence and are hopefully making their lives less frightening in the safety of our Rutland home.
Already Olena and Artem have enriched our lives and that of our daughter and 3 grandchildren. Playing together doesn’t need a language in common. They all appear to know exactly what they are doing and laughter and sharing is a communal language. Olena is teaching us Ukrainian and we reciprocate with English lessons just by working and living alongside each other. There is much fun and Google translate features largely in our daily lives even though it throws up some real howlers in both languages.
Ukrainian people, as we have all seen in the reporting from that country, are very proud and caring of each other. Olena is determined that she will get a job as soon as possible. In the Ukraine she worked in an orphanage for disabled children. Her son Artem is such a bright little button who has placed so much trust in us both. His big wish is to go to Nursery School and with Olena’s equally big wish to work we are looking for funding for him to find friendship and learning in a Nursery setting until he qualifies for full time school in September.
We know that our parishioners are extremely saddened by the situation in Ukraine. We know too that they can’t all offer accommodation but want to do “something” however big or small to support such lovely people. The cost of Artem’s Nursery fees will amount to approximately £50 per day. There is some funding available from Rutland County Council, but it will not be sufficient to enable Olena to gain full time employment.
We are therefore seeking financial assistance to help them achieve their aims to be partially independent and to thrive in a friendly Nursery environment.
We therefore request your blessing to approach our parishioners to seek some of this assistance, and would also be grateful if a contribution could also come from parish funds for this worthwhile cause in support of innocents who have fled the invasion of their homeland.
Our grateful thanks, Philip and Mich (Sturley)
If you would like to help Olena and Artem and can do so financially, you can donate by clicking 'Donate' on these pages and selecting 'Ukrainian Family Appeal'. You can also donate by cheque or using the card reader in the church porch.
Many thanks in anticipation of your generosity.