The Sunflower Series
From the Blackwater Ukrainian Solidarity Group
“Take your time” – Olena Ferents smiles as she recounts her favourite Irish saying. Over coffee in the Heron Café she helps plot the future of ‘The Fermoy Welcome Centre’ which we hope to open next week within the Youth Centre in Fermoy.
‘Time’ right now seems to move so quickly one moment… and so slowly the next. It’s only 48-days since the merciless Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Yet it feels so much longer.
Olena, who now lives in Clondulane, still can’t quite believe what it is happening to her beloved Ukraine. But she is now focussed on helping Ukrainians in the Fermoy area to settle and feel safe after weeks of uncertainty, horror and heartbreak.
She tells me of the disjointed information flow which Ukrainians face once they arrive in Ireland - though she is full or praise and thanks for the generosity and decency of the Irish people.
The main point at which the information flow dries up is when it gets to local issues. People unsure about how to sign up to a local doctor, about what time and where Mass will be on Easter Saturday, about where to get local information in general.
Olena tells me no one is even quite sure how many Ukrainians are living locally now.
“We need to make a list with contact details and make sure no one is alone. That we can contact everyone to let them know about opportunities and events,” she says.
That’s why our ‘ Fermoy Welcome Centre’ (the ‘hub’ in a previous life) is so important. Once accommodation is secured, the focus turns very quickly to the vital mechanics of life - getting to know others in your area, finding out about work opportunities, developing a routine, learning English, plotting a path to some kind of new normal in a country few had visited up to recent weeks and days.
Once our centre is open we’ll be seeking volunteers to help run the office and help source important local information. We are so grateful for the support of the Fermoy Forum and for the use of space in the Youth Centre – our hopes are still to locate a street side space during the summer for a more permanent location.
If you are part of a club or service in the Blackwater region and want to contact us to let us know about how you feel you can help Ukrainian people coming to the area, please contact us by e-mail. This could include simply extending a hand of welcome. We will then include this in our information packs on local groups.
Once our centre is up and running we will also look at providing outreach clinics in towns and villages outside of Fermoy. It’s vitally important this initiative caters to all parts of the Blackwater area as well as Mitchelstown, where we know many Ukrainians will be moving to in the coming weeks.
And we don’t want to be overly prescriptive but rather work together with our Ukrainian friends to source the kind of information and opportunities which are most needed. To listen and to learn.
THE FERMOY (BLUE NUNS PARISH CENTRE)
Incredible work has taken place at what is locally known as ‘The Blue Nuns’ centre in Fermoy in recent days and on Wednesday a family of eight moved into the parish property.
For many days in advance locals had worked to ensure the accommodation was comfortable and by the time the Ukrainian family arrived, the place was exceptionally welcoming.
It is one of many properties owned by the Catholic Church to have been set aside for the Ukrainian relief effort nationally.
A PLACE TO STORE DONATIONS
While not part of the work of our group there are other groups in Fermoy which have received donations of clothes and household items. They are seeking a building in the town in which to store these on a temporary basis, such as a shed or office space. If you happen to have a suitable location could you please let us know by e-mailing BlackwaterUkraine2022@ gmail.com
THE FERMOY SANCTUARY RUNNERS
Last Saturday the Fermoy Sanctuary Runners had their inaugural outing at St Colmans’ pitch in Fermoy. We had some of our Ukrainian friends along and our hope is that the initiative will evolve to welcome all those in the town – both those who have lived here all their lives and those who have moved from different countries and parts of Ireland. Everyone is welcome to come along on any Saturday morning at 10am, it’s free and we welcome walkers and joggers too.
And if any Ukrainian people need running gear we will be able to provide. After the activities in the grounds, we grab a coffee and have a chat. This is how networks are built. Just drop us an e-mail to info@sanctuaryrunners.ie or to find out more about what the Sanctuary Runners do and why we do it. go to Sanctuaryrunners.ie