Since 2022, Bracelets and Peace has had a special connection with Ukrainians in the Sunderland area.
Anne first visited the Sunderland for Ukraine group back in October 2022. The group helped Bracelets and Peace with their first project – preparing the basement at Vinnytsia Primary School #25 so that the students there could get back to face-to-face lessons.

Since then, every time Anne has been back to the north east (usually twice a year), she has met up with members of the group, which is now called UK & UA in Sunderland.
We asked the UK & UA in Sunderland group to give us an update on their current involvements and activities so that we could share it on our webpage.
“The group is now fantastically supported and funded by the Salvation Army at Monkwearmouth in Sunderland including the use of the building for meetings and social events, kids’ activity holidays, Christmas concerts, gifts, employment, joint English and Ukrainian commemorative services, English language lessons and digital marketing training from the company DOT UK.

In Sunderland there are around 175 Ukrainians, but many more from the wider region (a total of 2,400 in the North East) are attracted to the group because of its friendly social meetings, fantastic concerts, craft sales and sales of traditional Ukrainian food to the local public. The group also performs dancing and singing at events such as Houghton Feast, concerts further afield and participating in events such as Refugee Week.





UK & UA in Sunderland supports a whole range of projects in Ukraine such as schools, hospitals, orphanages, Shveina Rota (Clothes for the Wounded), the provision of survival equipment and food and items for pet shelters in Ukraine.


Specific requests, such as tyres for vehicles, food, medicines, protective equipment are also fulfilled, supporting those who are fighting for Ukraine’s freedom.
Ukrainians in the region are also supported, with the team delivering furniture and household goods and undertaking decorating, repairs and DIY to help families settle into their new homes.
The Sunderland group has 5 people taking part in the Great North Run again this year.

Just last Saturday, there was a park run, where 761 people ran in Chester-le-Street in solidarity with the Lviv Half Marathon organised by Nova Poshta. This run is part of a powerful charity initiative led by the “UNBROKEN” project, which raises funds to provide prosthetics for Ukrainian heroes.

Ukrainians are very enterprising and many are working despite being single parents or carers.
“Local support is very reassuring for Ukrainians in our region and especially those back home, knowing that their loved ones in Sunderland are safe and happy.”
Bracelets and Peace is extremely grateful to members of the UK & UA in Sunderland group, who have kindly undertaken to set up the photo exhibition, Ukraine Unbroken, which is currently taking place in Washington Arts Centre. We wrote about these photos when they were shown in Durham in August 2023.


Anne will be over in the Sunderland area in June, so, no doubt more connections and achievements will happen!