A group of around sixty people came together to enjoy a free Ukrainian Cultural Event last Friday evening at Sherbrooke Mosspark Parish Church.
The event was a celebration of Ukrainian food, crafts, and culture and was the culmination of joint input between Sherbrook Mosspark Parish Church, Cosgrove Care, and the Ukrainian community.
Guests enjoyed a delicious selection of traditional Ukrainian dishes, and scrumptious home baked Ukrainian patisserie. The food was prepared by Nataliia Turiv, Rostyslav and family. Yuliia Yakovleva and Viktoriia Smokovych also assisted with the food preparation on the evening.
A highlight of the evening was a wonderful performance by the Ukrainian Choir “Solo Way.” Wearing traditional embroidered costumes, the choir sang some upliftingly, jaunty songs. Movingly, they dedicated their final song ‘As We Go Now’ to their friends at Cosgrove and Sherbrook Mosspark Parish Church. Cosgrove support worker Fraser MacPherson played guitar to accompany the song. It was sung beautifully, and it felt like a special way of expressing ‘thank you.’
Tom Ferguson delighted the audience with his piano recital of Ukrainian music.
Guests watched a short film about Ukraine, past and present, including the current war with Russia.
Guests of all ages had fun trying out the traditional Ukrainian craft activities on offer in the four corners of the hall. This was Nataliya Yanishevska’s idea and she facilitated the popular Angel Toys workshop.
Cosgrove Care and Sherbrooke Parish Church have worked together to support the integration of Ukrainians into Scottish life. This has enabled many to find employment in Scotland’s social care sector where demand for workers is high. This project included Cosgrove initiating wider partnerships with Glasgow Clyde College and the Scottish Government.
Yuliia Kohut and Andrij Strekhaliuk spoke about the journey they and others in the Ukrainian community have been on since arriving in Scotland. They acknowledged the key role Cosgrove Care and Sherbrooke Mosspark church have played in supporting the community to integrate and find employment. Cosgrove’s chief executive Heather Gray explained, in her talk, how the project has been a success, resulting in 25 Ukrainian employees joining the current Cosgrove workforce.
The fun filled family event ended with the drawing of the raffle which included hampers of Ukrainian treats.
