Ukrainians proud to help their new home Fermoy

MEMBERSHIP of the Fermoy Tidy Towns group has received a welcome boost in the past week, with a dozen new Ukrainian volunteers helping to make their new home a better place.

“We were absolutely delighted to see Ukrainian people come along to join us on our Wednesday evening tidy-up, and we were thrilled to be able to give them a big welcome,” Fermoy Tidy Town chairperson and local county councillor Noel McCarthy told The Echo.

“We always welcome new volunteers, and I think this was a boost we all needed, to see people who have moved here from Ukraine taking such a big interest in their new home, and it is something we really appreciate,” Cllr McCarthy said.

The new volunteers are part of Fermoy’s Ukrainian community, which has approximately 40 members, all of whom have arrived in Ireland since Russia’s illegal invasion of their country, which began five months ago.

The town recently welcomed 26 Ukrainian people.

Cllr McCarthy said the Tidy Towns committee had recently presented window boxes to Ukrainian residents, and it was “something very special” to see Ukrainian people deciding to get involved in the group’s work.

“To see the mothers and fathers, and the young people, coming along to help with the tidy-up and the planting of flowers shows a real sense of pride in their new home, and that means an awful lot to us.”

Sixteen-year-old Violetta Kit, interpreting for her mother Yulia, said they had come from Brovary, a suburb of Kyiv, and had been in Fermoy for just over two weeks.

“In Ireland, people are very kind, and they always try to help, and I thought that Ukrainian people are very kind, but Irish people are even kinder,” Violetta said.

“We love Fermoy...it is very beautiful, with the river and all the flowers everywhere.” Violetta’s mum, Yulia, said Irish people had made them feel at home since they had arrived in the country, something which was a relief as they were very distressed to leave Ukraine in such circumstances.

“We are really thankful to the Irish nation for your kindness in giving us a home, because we are really feeling welcome here in this beautiful country,” Ms Kit said.

Paul Kavanagh, co-ordinator with the group, said it was great to see the new volunteers getting involved with the Tidy Towns group.

“We want them to feel that this is their home now, for as long as they need to stay here, so it’s great that they’re playing a part, and getting to know people, because that is something which benefits us all,” Mr Kavanagh said.

Cllr McCarthy added that new volunteers are always welcome to join the Wednesday evening tidy-up and can contact the group on the Fermoy Tidy Towns Facebook page.