The Leeds Ukrainian Community Association charity organisation has been active since 27 February 2022. It was officially registered in on 29 July 2022. Our charity number is 1199884.
Click the button below to view our official constitution document.
Constitution DocumentOur mission is, above all, to provide assistance in the collection, organisation and further transfer of humanitarian aid from the city of Leeds to Ukraine and neighboring countries that help victims of the war in Ukraine.
Our activity is also aimed at promoting the dissemination of knowledge about Ukraine and Ukrainians; to promote the Ukrainian language, culture and heritage; support Ukrainians through cultural and social events; provide any practical support to provide refugees with basic necessities; to provide a meeting place for Leeds residents and the existing Ukrainian community to help Ukrainian refugees.
Our volunteer activity began back in 2014, when the annexation of Crimea by Russia took place and Russian authorities began conducting military operations in the eastern territories of Ukraine.
Back then, our brave soldiers sought to fight off the Russian onslaught. All of us could not remain indifferent to the pleas for help from soldiers and veterans, so we started organizing small Ukrainian public fundraising events.
The beginning of the war on February 24, 2022 turned our lives upside down again and new challenges began. Russia caused large-scale destruction by bombing Ukrainian cities and villages.
Each of us has relatives, friends and acquaintances in different regions of Ukraine, so we united again to provide the necessary support to Ukrainians.
In the first months after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, we organized a free clothing and essentials store where the new arrivals could get clothing, household items, hygiene items, food and Vodafone SIM cards (for convenient communication and to prevent isolation).
On 22 March 2022 we were invited to Morley Fair, organized by Terry Grayshon, where we held our first fundraiser. We have since attended and organized over 54 events of various formats from fair stalls, sales in our cultural centre, music concerts, spa days, lectures on the history of Ukraine, educational events/meetings in the centre of Leeds, celebrations of Days of Ukrainian Culture and Christmas parties.
We organized a Eurovision party in May 2023, successfully held an auction in the summer 2023, which took us a year to organize, and we participated in several away festivals. We continue to organise festive holidays of Ukrainian importance Independence Day of Ukraine, Defender of Ukraine Day, Mother’s Day, so that people unite as a community and feel mutual assistance in a foreign country, far from home and loved ones.
Working closely with Leeds City Council, we have facilitated welcomes for newly arrived refugees in Leeds and the surrounding areas. Today we are an information hub for anyone new to Leeds.
We created the Ukrainian Saturday School for children to continue to learn the Ukrainian language, history, traditions, music and many other subjects. The school has teachers who are truly dedicated to their work.
We support our Ukrainian soldiers who are training at military bases in Yorkshire by organising concerts with Ukrainian music, refreshments, etc. to boost morale and show our appreciation.
We have regular requests from military units for vehicles (ambulances, minibuses, SUVs), medicines, turnstiles, individual first-aid kits, car cases, sleeping bags, and winter clothing. These supplies are essential to allow the Ukrainian army to save even more lives.
Aid is transferred by us using established and trusted contacts and supply routes. As a small charity we can respond swiftly and we document at all stages to show the safe transfer of aid with photo and video recording.
If you’d like to know more about what we do, or would like to get involved, then we’d love to hear from you.
Drop into our Ukrainian cultural centre or fill in the form below.