Photographic exhibition will focus on Ukrainian experience as Fife kirk marks refugee week

A Fife congregation is marking Refugee Festival Scotland with an insight into what life is like for those forced to leave their home country because of war or crisis.

Fife: Forthview Parish Church in Dalgety Bay is hosting a series of events as part of Refugee Festival Scotland including a photographic exhibition from the Ukrainian group which has been meeting regularly in the church since coming to Scotland two years ago.

In addition to the exhibition, which will run at the church all week, there will also be a Thursday evening "in conversation" event in association with Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees and Fife International Forum looking at how the Fife community is supporting refugees in the area, followed by a peace Service and supper to mark the end of Refugee Festival Scotland week.

Rev Andrea Fraser, a minister currently working within Forthview, said the 14 Ukrainian families who regularly meet in the church have become very much a part of the community.

"When the war in Ukraine broke out, Dalgety Parish Church, as it was previously known, opened its doors to potential hosts, initially offering a place to support host families.

"When people started to arrive from Ukraine, we again offered a safe place to be and meet. Our building was open for our youth group on Friday evenings and it seemed a natural addition to welcome in the families and young people who were attending local primary and secondary schools and give them the opportunity to meet some other young people.

"This gave our Ukrainian friends a safe place to meet and, where possible, we could offer support, such as practical help with form filling or equipping them with clothes or personal items."

In addition to supporting the Ukrainians in their community, the church also collected items for a hospital in Ukraine, with the local Ukrainian group helping sort out donations and ensuring it was labelled correctly.

Sharing joy and tears

The Forthview group come from across Ukraine and although they have moved on from host families to their own tenancies, they call themselves the Dalgety Bay Ladies and continue to enjoy the support of the local church and a place where they can come together and meet.

"We have shared in their joys and their tears," Ms Fraser said.

"We have listened to many a story of what life is like back in Ukraine today, as well as the difficulties they experienced in being in a different country."

This week's photographic exhibition will enable them to share some of those stories with the wider community. It includes photographs from before and since the Russian invasion in February 2022, demonstrating the impact of the war on Ukraine's people.

There will also be a reflection area with a peace cairn and labyrinth, allowing local people to show their support.

"We hope that people will come, see, and hear the stories from Ukraine," Ms Fraser commented.

"We are very proud of our Ukrainian friends and the resilience they have shown. We are heartbroken at the stories which we have heard and as a church we hope and encourage all to pray for peace in all areas of our world.

"We pray especially this week for those who are displaced or have had their opportunities limited by the result of war and violence in their own countries."

Refugee Festival Scotland, which runs until Sunday June 23, is led by the Scottish Refugee Council with the aim of honouring those who have made Scotland their home and celebrating the wealth of art, culture, stories and traditions they bring to our communities.

The photographic exhibition and reflection space will be open to the public from 10am to 4pm until Friday, and open again in the evening on Thursday and Friday from 6pm to 8pm, and will also be open on Saturday from 10am to noon.

Thursday's in conversation event will begin at 7.30pm and Sunday's Peace Service is at 3.30pm, followed by a supper with the church's Ukrainian friends from 4pm to 7pm. For more information, contact office@dalgety-church.co.uk

Thursday June 20 is World Refugee Day, the date designated by the United Nations and its refugee committee, the UNHCR, as a time to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution, and highlight their needs, rights and hopes.

For more information, visit the UNHCR website.