Community, Music and Fellowship at Ukrainian Picnic

A gathering of Ukrainian guests and their host families took place last night at Epiphany House in Truro. The event, which was organised and run as a joint venture between Truro School, Truro Methodist Church (TMC) and Epiphany House, welcomed families from across Cornwall for an informal supper and night of community, music and gathering.

The evening started at 5.30 pm with a welcome speech and a shared picnic supper. There was a musical interlude, with one Ukrainian guest, Anna Zoshchuk, performing some beautiful Ukrainian arias, before duetting with Truro School pupil and chorister Kes McDowell on the song, ‘Evening Prayer’ from Hansel and Gretel by Humperdink.

Guests were then invited to the Chapel for a chance for reflection and prayer. Candles were lit and our Rev’d Aubin de Gruchy led some prayers, supported by one of our boarders, Diana, who is from Ukraine.

The rest of the evening was a blend of socialising and music, as guests and host families were able to meet, share stories and build a community. It was wonderful to see so many members of the Truro School Community coming together for this cause and what was a truly moving evening.

Special thanks must go to Epiphany House for donating their venue for the event and to all the staff and volunteers who brought the evening together. Thanks too to Diana, who was so helpful in interpreting speeches and prayers into Ukrainian. Her compassion, courage and warmth shone through and we are incredibly proud to have her as a member of our School community.

The next events to support Ukrainian Guests in Cornwall will be a resumption of the drop-in sessions at TMC on Thursdays from 4 pm – 7 pm and a bike exchange on 18 June. If you would like any more information about any events, or would like to be involved, please email [email protected].