It is hard to believe but it is approaching the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which originally took place on February 24, 2022. At the time I was working in Inverness, in the Highlands of Scotland, and my news editor asked me to cover anything related to Ukraine on our news patch.

This included any fundraising efforts, shipments of aid, as well as people from the Inverness area who were caught up in conflict. I did manage to communicate with a charity volunteer who was working out there as well as a trauma surgeon from the city’s Raigmore Hospital who volunteered for a medical charity which operated in disaster areas, as well as refugees who fled the invasion and settled in the Inverness area.

I did visit Ukraine way back in January 2008 with the shoebox appeal and the coverage resulted in two reports which were published in the Scarborough Evening News and the Shields Gazette because my mam had packed a shoebox for one child which I was privileged to hand over.

Since moving back to Carlisle in July 2023 I have got to know Ukrainian nationals who have also settled in Cumbria and around this time last year I covered a march by the Ukrainian community to mark the third anniversary.

Tonight there was a charity dinner and solidarity evening for Ukraine event which was organised by Carlisle Cumbria Ukrainian Hub, in cooperation with Multicultural Cumbria, in the premises of the Currock Community Centre in Carlisle which featured Ukrainian food and a performance by a Ukrainian choir known as Mallows who sang passionately for their homeland. It was good to catch up with a few folk and the food was really good.

Organisers are arranging a vigil in the city centre, which has recently been redeveloped, on Sunday following a service in Carlisle Cathedral which I am hoping to cover. I am also hoping to work on a long-term project on people within the Ukrainian community who travelled to the border capital following the invasion.