A FUNDRAISER concert organised by the Llandudno community raised more than £1,000 to support those suffering in Ukraine.
Held at the Trinity Community Centre on Friday, May 6, the concert featured singing, piano and harp playing and more, as well as a cake sale and raffle.
It raised £1,100, the proceeds from which will go to “Hospitallers”, a charity based in the UK and Ireland focused on sourcing and delivering medical supplies for paramedics saving lives in Ukraine.
Participants included pupils from Conwy-based schools Ysgol Tudno, Ysgol Craig y Don, Ysgol y Creuddyn, Ysgol Eirias, Ysgol John Bright, and Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy, with preparations helped by music teachers Lisa Butler and Elin Angharad Davies, head of music at Ysgol y Creuddyn.
During the concert’s interval, volunteers served hot drinks and a wide array of cakes, with one tasty treat auctioned at the end of the night and fetching £40.
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Raffle prizes were also announced by deputy mayor of Llandudno, Carol Marubbi, together with mayor Harry Saville, mayoress Loren Lloyd Pepperell, and Mandy Hawkins, as well as Llandudno’s own “Miss Alice”, Emmie Holmes, who also sang during the concert itself.
Helen Denning, who grew up in Kyiv before moving to Britain in 2001 and then to Llandudno six years ago, helped arrange the event, and was understandably delighted by its success.
Helen said “Hospitallers” was recommended to her by a friend who had to flee Donetsk in 2014, and then relocate to Western Ukraine recently.
Helen, who was also involved in two recent marches for Ukraine at Llandudno promenade, said: “We are so grateful to everyone who contributed to the success of our concert; it was absolutely amazing.
“The hall was filled not only with beautiful voices, but with the sounds of piano, harp and guitar. Each performance was very special, and the entire concert thoroughly delighted the audience.
“Thank you so much to all the people who donated raffle prizes, baked cakes, and helped on the day.
“We are also very grateful to the Empire Hotel, Osborne House, the Imperial Hotel, St George’s Hotel and Kava Restaurant, Tir Prince Raceway, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s for their magnificent support.”
Helen also extended her thanks to the young musicians who performed, the music teachers who also assisted in putting the concert together, and to Cllr Marubbi for offering the centre as a venue for the event.
Last week, Helen told the Pioneer of the “constant feeling of nervousness” she feels at the moment when thinking about her family and friends back in Ukraine.
She said: “I still can’t believe it. In the morning, I wake up, and the first thing I think is that it was a dream.
“I have family in Kyiv and fortunately, they are well. I check with my family that they’re OK, then I check the news to see what’s happened overnight.
“It’s a constant feeling of nervousness, and not knowing what’s going to happen, and headaches because of too much thinking.”
For more information on Hospitallers, go to: www.hospitallers.co.uk.
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