local Ukrainian refugees are running a stall at this Saturday’s Giant Christmas Charity Market to help raise funds for vital medical aid for their homeland.

Iva Repnytska is aiming to raise much-needed funds for the Leleka Foundation at the market in The Petersfield School.

The US-based charity aims to distribute critical medical supplies to paramedics, emergency crews and hospitals in Ukraine that help both civilians and soldiers.

Iva said the charity is trying to cope with all the trauma of the conflict after the full-blown Russian invasion in March.

She left Ukraine on March 1 and arrived in Petersfield on June 1.

Since then she has been volunteering with family charity Home Start Butser and helping to look after Ukrainian student refugees in Petersfield.

The married mother from Kiev has been gathering craft items from fellow Ukrainian refugees to sell at her double stall. Some of the gifts were hand-made in her home country.

Iva is already very thankful to the people of Petersfield for their welcome, and also for the kindness of her hosts, Sylvia and Jan Stuart.

Sylvia, a retired primary school teacher, and Jan, a retired engineer, will be helping Iva decorate her double-size market stall for Christmas, not forgetting the Ukrainian flags and bunting.

Iva says she will miss her family and her country at Christmas.

But she says conditions in Kiev are very dangerous and it’s not safe there – and it’s also a lot colder than here in England.

Joint organiser of the market, Jeremy Holmes, gave Iva an extra stall for free, to help her boost funds for the medical charity.

He said: “The terrible conflict in Ukraine is on all our minds at the moment. I hope Iva makes a lot of money for her charity.”

The Christmas Charity Market will also support a number of other local charities.

These include the hospice at home nurses of the Rosemary Foundation and Petersfield Musical Festival.

Overall profits will go to Portsmouth Hospitals Charity for cancer services from stall rents, a raffle, the café and a book stall.

With more than 30 stalls to browse, there will be plenty on offer from Christmas decorations and original crafts to collectables and bric-a-brac.

There will also be Christmas gifts and contemporary glass, books old and new, antiques and jewellery, jams and cakes, knitted dolls’ clothes, crochet, wax melts, cards by a local artist and even Body Shop products.

The event also features a bumper raffle for Portsmouth Hospitals Charity in the school foyer.

Refreshments will include bacon butties served by members of Stroud Evening WI.

Live background music to keep festive shoppers entertained will be provided by Jez Shipton and Steve Dove.

There is free parking in the school playgrounds, and free entry to the market, which is open from 9.30am to 3pm.

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