August 24 marked the third Ukrainian Independence Day since the arrival of Ukrainian families taking refuge in the Rye area from Spring 2022. The Rye Homes for Ukraine hub formed in early 2022 to provide a local focus and link to similar ones in other parts of Rother and Hastings. Rother District delegated overall district coordination to Rother Voluntary Action (RVA) in Bexhill.
Since the start, in the Rye area, the number of family units has dropped from its peak of around 25 to 12 at present. Some have returned home to safer parts of western Ukraine; others have moved to other places in UK. Those remaining today come from places often in the news, such as Dombas, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Odessa. They either rent homes or live with hosts. The generosity of the latter is nothing short of remarkable.
The hub meets monthly. On August 21 we held a tea meeting, hosted by the River Haven Hotel, with around 25 Ukrainians attending, some with their children.
These gatherings provide a welcome opportunity to catch up with issues, hear about what is happening in their homeland and publicise future events in the Rye area. With most guests now working or in education, not everyone can attend, but we remain in close touch via social media. Susan Gedge of Rother Voluntary Action and Hannah Laba from Hastings were on hand for help and advice. More events will follow.
Image Credits: Anthony Kimber .