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On 21 March, we had the pleasure of attending the official launch of the book “Old Memories” at the Baptist Church — a truly inspiring and heartfelt event.

The book is the result of a unique intergenerational project that brought together Ukrainian teenagers and members of the older generation. Its purpose is to preserve personal memories and stories, ensuring they are passed on to future generations.

Old Memories offers a glimpse into the childhood and youth of our grandparents — their dreams, challenges, traditions, and everyday joys during a time when life was very different. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of understanding our past in order to better understand who we are today.

The project began in response to the events of 2022, when many Ukrainian families were forced to leave their homes due to the full-scale war and seek safety in the United Kingdom. Alongside their belongings, they carried with them treasured memories, recipes, songs, traditions, and a lifetime of experiences.

Young people aged 12 to 21 played a key role in bringing this project to life. They wrote the texts themselves and carefully selected photographs that vividly illustrate the stories of the older generation.

The project was run by Kryla and funded by Birmingham City Council through the NB4U programme.

We would like to congratulate everyone involved in creating this meaningful book and thank the organisers for an engaging and memorable presentation. It was a wonderful opportunity to take a journey back in time and connect with the rich cultural heritage of Ukraine.

This event was made possible by the generous support of Birmingham City Council

We had a wonderful time at our Pancake Day event on Saturday 14th.

Our fantastic cooking team – Tetiana, Valentyna, Svitlana N, Svitlana S and others – prepared a delicious variety of pancakes for everyone to enjoy. My personal favourite was the cottage cheese and raisin filling. We also offered a selection of jams, Nutella and fresh lemon for those who preferred traditional toppings.

A big thank you goes to everyone who helped make the day such a success, especially Peter and Dana for serving tea and coffee, and to the Baptist Church staff for kindly allowing us to use their kitchen.

It was a truly enjoyable occasion and a lovely opportunity for everyone to come together.

This event was made possible by the generous support of Birmingham City Council

It was a really nice afternoon. We had coffees and cakes with board games on each table. There was Ukrainian pop music on the loud speakers and a nice atmosphere.

Michael, who is our new volunteer, went to school in this building in the 1960’s. It was his first time back in the building since then! He said it hasn’t changed much.

We plan to make fresh pancakes at our next event in February, so look out for the information about this.

This event was made possible by the generous support of Birmingham City Council

A Fantastic NB4U Autumn Gathering at Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church

What a lovely social gathering we enjoyed today at Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church with the NB4U community. During Roger’s Friday conversation group, the topic of cooking varenyky came up—and before we knew it, Valentyna and Tetiana had generously offered to cater for our event.

Roger arrived well-prepared, supplying chef hats and even donning an apron himself. Soon the kitchen was buzzing with activity as many people joined in to help. The results were absolutely delicious, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved—especially Tetiana and Valentyna for their hard work and wonderful cooking.

Beverley also treated us to a batch of amazing gingerbread Christmas cookies, which proved a big hit. Guests of all ages enjoyed decorating them with festive designs. Meanwhile, Peppy kept the children entertained with beautiful craft activities, helping them create fantastic ‘bottles of hope’ to take home.

Despite the wet November weather, it was truly a fabulous afternoon filled with warmth, creativity, and community spirit. A huge thank you to all the volunteers who made this memorable event possible.

This event was made possible by the generous support of Birmingham City Council

We had a very informative session on Saturday delivered by the CPR Counts team from Sutton Coldfield.

During the session we learned vital skills that could save someone’s life in an emergency, including what to do if a person has a heart attack, stops breathing or begins choking.

A big thank you to the CPR Counts team for giving up their time to teach us. We highly recommend attending one of their training sessions – the knowledge and confidence you gain is invaluable.

You can find out more on their website: https://cprcounts.com/

This event was made possible by the generous support of Birmingham City Council