Ukrainian youngsters get sporting treat in Mid Sussex

On the day England’s Lionesses beat Denmark, young people watched and cheered them on, filmed by a news crew from ITV Meridian, who covered the event on their regional news programme.

The refugees and their coach mentors took the field to play their own football games, alongside art and craft sessions, running races and playground activities.

The two-day event was the latest in a series of camps organised by TCF, which uses sport to positively impact on the lives of marginalised young people, and have taken place in Poland along the Ukrainian border, as well as in Sussex.

Dizzie Howes, founder of charitable group Hugs4Ukraine, which is active across the county, said: “I originally set it up to cater for basic needs, such as accommodation, clothing, food and medical care.

“I have always supported these camps which offer the children the chance to relax and have fun in a safe environment.

"They make new friends, speak their own language and enjoy being children.”

TCF focused on Sussex because of the relatively large number of women and children accommodated locally, who are bussed to the sessions by local volunteers.

According to the latest figures for the UK refugee sponsorship scheme, 2,193 are housed in West Sussex, 1,702 in East Sussex, 453 in Mid Sussex, and 553 in Brighton and Hove with other substantial populations in Crawley, Chichester and Worthing.

Dizzie added: “There are other refugees in more remote villages, so this is the best way the children, who might be in a school almost entirely with English pupils, can meet those from their homeland.”

Viktoriia Berhulova, who came to the UK from Kyiv, attended the sessions with her son, Oleksandr, aged four, and 10-year-old daughter, Mariia.

She said: “When we came here our hearts were full of fear, but the (Sussex) community has shown how strong it is by being so welcoming.”

Olena Kurianova, also from the Ukrainian capital, took her son Zorian, three, and daughter Olia, 11, to Burgess Hill.

She said: “My son likes the range of sports and activities, the fact that there are lots of people and lots of toys for him to play with.

"People across Sussex offer us wonderful support and the countryside is beautiful.

"The sea is never far away and I am very pleased and thankful to be here.”

TCF staff also noted how much more confident the children were, compared to the initial Sussex camps last year.

Dean Lamb, TCF senior coach mentor, said: "As we have worked with broadly the same group in the UK we have built up great relationships with them.

"They are just more out-going each time we work with them.”