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Ukrainian families in Solihull join Soroptimists for afternoon tea

International Afternoon Tea

Solihull Soroptimists working with Kate O’Hara of BRAMA, organised an international afternoon tea on 24th February.  BRAMA is dedicated to providing support to Ukrainian refugees in Solihull and creates a welcoming and inclusive environment for their integration into the local community. Kate has worked tirelessly with the local Ukrainian community since they started to arrive in Solihull two years ago.   Twenty-seven people from Ukraine joined us for our afternoon tea.  Children, young people, mothers, grandmothers and even the occasional father.  We all enjoyed the time spent talking to the families as well as enjoying some delicious cakes.  Our guests enjoyed the opportunity to meet with others both from the UK and Ukraine.

One Minute Silence

The tea took place on the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.  We held a one minute silence to remember those lost or still fighting.  One young Ukrainian women sang two beautiful songs.  One about the experience of the war and the other about loss.

Isolation – and Inclusion

The Ukrainian families are overwhelmingly grateful for the support they receive.  Many remain isolated within community as well as experiencing the anxiety of events in Ukraine. International Women’s Day is on 8th March and the theme this year is “Inspire Inclusion”  It felt very fitting to hold this event so close to 8th March and we enjoyed taking some photographs to celebrate the day.

Last year Solihull Soroptimists were awarded a grant by the Heart of England Community Foundation to run Art Therapy sessions for Ukrainians in the Borough. One of the aims of the afternoon was to raise awareness of these.  We are also a planning a visit to the newly reopened Gas Hall at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.  People have already expressed an interest in joining us for the visit.

The success of the afternoon was sealed when Father Dominic of St Augustine’s Church Solihull, who joined us for tea, offered the hall to BRAMA for one Saturday afternoon each month. We believe there are now plans for regular monthly get togethers.

Special Thanks

Events like this would not take place without a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

  • Kate O’Hara for supporting us and contacting local Ukrainian families.
  • Elena from Ukraine who made the most fantastic cakes, even though she was unable to attend as she was working.
  • Elena’s son for arranging the sound and music.
  • Members of the Solihull Soroptimist Club who made cakes, set up the room up, serve the tea and of course, tidy up afterwards.

Want to find out more about the Soroptimists and what we do?

Visit our Solihull Club website and you can find us on Facebook and Twitter too. Contact us here and join us at one of our meetings – we meet on the second Thursday of every month.

Find out more about other Soroptimist Clubs by going to the SIGBI website here

To find out about Soroptimists Worldwide visit the Soroptimist International website here

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