Derbyshire Ukrainians unite in Chesterfield to mark the second anniversary of Russian invasion

Ukrainian refugees came together on Saturday to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full scale invasion of their country.

The emotional memorial service was held at Central Methodist Church in Chesterfield and was led by Rev’d Paul King and Julia Iermachenko of Verba (Ukrainian Social Group of Chesterfield, Derbyshire). Attendees lit candles, sang and prayed. It was an opportunity for individuals to come together as a show of solidarity as well as to share their own experiences of how the horrors of this war have impacted their lives.

Verba is now a fully constituted group based in Chesterfield, supporting over 250 refugees who have moved from Ukraine to Chesterfield due to the war. They offer support and advice as well as organise trips and activities, they are also active members of Derbyshire BME Forum.

On Saturday, The Mayor & Mayoress of Chesterfield will be attending the social group’s meeting which takes place each Saturday at the Methodist Church. They will meet with refugees, volunteers & representatives of the various agencies including Links CVS (The Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire Council for Voluntary Service and Action Ltd) who have helped support the group since they first started to meet back in April 2022. For more information on the work of Links CVS - which provides support to voluntary organisations and community groups operating in the local government districts of Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire - and Derbyshire BME Forum, visit the website at www.linkscvs.org.uk