V4UUK Aid: July–August 2025

This report is unlike any I’ve written before. The dangers, emotions and realities of the war in Ukraine were felt more intensely than ever during this trip.

Thanks to the generous donations from the Dynamics Music Educational Hub, we were once again able to bring vital support to music schools across Ukraine. On 25 July, my son Lucaa and I left England with a van full of instruments — and the van itself to be handed over for the Ukrainian Army.

Getting to Kyiv

The start was far from smooth. The van needed repairs, and my biggest fear was breaking down somewhere in Europe with a load of instruments. By the evening of 26 July, we reached the Ukrainian border, feeling pretty tired. Unable to reach Kyiv before curfew, we stopped in Kovel’, where every hotel was fully booked. By sheer luck, a receptionist found us the very last room available. I was relieved beyond words after two days of driving.

The next morning, the van faltered again, warning lights flashing as I prayed we’d reach Kyiv in one piece. Once there, logistics proved more complicated than ever. The Army needed the van immediately, leaving me without transport for the instruments. Thankfully, my military friend Roman, whom I first met in Donetsk in 2023, stepped in and drove me in his vehicle to deliver instruments to music schools in Irpin’ and Makariv.

Reuniting with Oleksandr Tretyak, Head of the Makariv Music School, was deeply moving. This was one of the schools featured in our documentary Unbreakable Spirit. Seeing the improvements they had made since our last visit filled me with pride and hope.

Deliveries Across Ukraine

With more instruments to deliver, I borrowed my sister and her husband’s car. Packed to bursting, we barely managed to close the doors. In Poltava, we sorted instruments for the Donetsk region before heading to Kremenchuk, where the gratitude of the teachers at Children’s School No. 3 was overwhelming. Their joy reminded me that our work truly matters, that even in times of war, children deserve the transformative power of music.

Into the Donetsk Region

The hardest part came when arranging travel into the Donetsk region. With so many instruments left to take, I needed a vehicle, but no one wanted to risk going there. It was simply too dangerous. After days of waiting, giving interviews to the local press and still receiving silence, I had no choice but to load everything into one giant suitcase and go by train.

My best friend and coordinator Lera traveled through the night from Dnipro to meet me. We reunited in Sloviansk, smiling through sadness, knowing what lay ahead.

The Donetsk region is scarred yet breathtaking — forests, hills and a holy aura that draws me back every time. But danger is constant. Our once-favourite hilltop spot was now unreachable; civilian cars risked being targeted by Russian drones.

We ran art therapy and music sessions in Svyatohirs’ka Lavra and Khrestushe, teaching ukulele and sharing moments of joy amid chaos.

At night, bombs shook the monastery where we stayed. Lera and I looked at each other and decided not to run to the underground shelter. Whatever will be, will be. I crossed myself, lay down and listened to the echoes of war. By morning, the monastery bells rang and life carried on.

Tears, Music, and Resilience

At breakfast in our dearest friend Mira’s café ­– where she and her husband have provided food and comfort to soldiers for nearly two years,  emotions overwhelmed us. She looked at us and said, “We will not cry, girls, we will not cry.” Of course, we did. We knew it might be the last time we saw each other, here in Svyatohirs’k, liberated in September 2022 at the cost of countless Ukrainian soldier’s lives. Now, the Russians advance like locusts, destroying everything in their path.

Later, our sessions with children were accompanied by bombings in the not-so-distant background. Fewer children remained, many had fled, but for those who stayed, we gave all we could. Hope kept us going.

At a youth club in Sloviansk, I finally met a group of teenagers I had missed on previous visits. Their respect, hunger for knowledge and gratitude filled my heart. Their desire to learn was so powerful that I decided to leave 12 ukuleles and two boxes of hand bells, even though I feared they might one day be lost to the enemy. Their joy was overwhelming. I promised to return — and I must.

Why Music Matters

As I boarded my train back to Poltava, my heart was heavy, but I was also incredibly grateful for one more chance to witness such unbreakable spirit. Just hours after we left, new attacks struck the region. People died.

And still, people ask me: What is the point of music in such conditions?

The answer is: music is not a luxury, it is a lifeline. It is a bridge between humanity and the divine, lifting us from darkness and carrying hope where it is needed most.

And so, we will continue. As long as we have breath in our lungs, we will bring music to those who need it — Hope Always...

P.S. Since my last visit in August, our teacher who led music sessions in the Donetsk region, along with dear friends, including Mira and her husband, have been forced to evacuate. We are now working urgently to save as many instruments as possible that V4UUK has delivered there since April 2023, before they are lost to the advancing war...