Message from YMCA Ukraine

28 February 2022

YMCA Black Country Group stands in solidarity with our friends and colleagues from YMCA Ukraine as the awful scenes from Kyiv and across the country are beamed across our media platforms.

In this VIDEO, Viktor Serbulov, General Secretary of YMCA Ukraine describes the shock of the unprovoked Russian invasion of a democratic European country, and how the YMCA are communicating and responding in the middle of a war zone.

YMCA Europe has proven experience on peace work projects, and is leading a response to support YMCA Ukraine short, medium and long term.

YMCAs in Ukraine and our colleagues are already suffering the consequences of this unpredictable crisis. As an immediate action, a fundraising campaign has been launched which will allow a mobilisation of resources to help meet what in all likelihood will be massive needs (refugee support, rehabilitation of facilities etc.) in our YMCAs in Ukraine and the communities they serve.

You can donate to support YMCA Ukraine by clicking HERE.

YMCAs in Ukraine and YMCA Black Country Group have worked in partnership for several years in the development youth conferences across eastern Europe. Plans for a YMCA Youth Unify conference in Odessa for Summer 2022 were well advanced.

We continue to pray for the young people of Ukraine, their families, communities and all our YMCA brothers and sisters. May God be with you in these dark times, and may the morning come soon, where lasting peace and hope can be sustained.