A fundraising football tournament in Gedling has netted over £5,000 for vulnerable people suffering from the war in Ukraine.
The Trophy for Peace, hosted by British-Ukrainian Taras Postolan, saw Ireland crowned champions following a 1-0 win over Ukraine in front of more than 200 spectators.
Sunday’s game took place at Carlton Town FC’s Bill Stokeld Stadium, where donations were gathered by City Hub Ukraine, a group of volunteers who collect tonnes of supplies for Ukraine war victims on a weekly basis.
Since the war began, more than 600 tonnes of necessities, on lorries and ferries, have made the 1715-mile journey to Ukraine, where people are facing the worst time of their lives.
Thanks to the success of the fundraising, the organiser, Taras Postolan, of Mapperley, is now able to add another lorry to the aid mission.
The 42-year-old said: “With this donation, we can now pay for another lorry to send more aid to the war victims in Ukraine.
“Despite living here, I still got family members in Ukraine, and I had to do something.
“Since my small family is here, I can’t go to Ukraine, and this is the way of helping my people.”
Taras, whose grandparents are Ukrainians, also thanked the local community for their support and generosity.
He added: “I do worry whether people still care, so I’m so happy that after a year, people still turned up and showed support.
“City Hub Ukraine helped us so much with different kinds of volunteer like selling handmade cake, Ukrainian crafts, glitter tattoos, and gave all the profits to our cause.
“What amazed me is that the Ukrainian and Irish communities have come together to continue this tournament even after the war is over to help other countries that need our help.”
Philip Holland, 71, member of City Hub Ukraine, expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the event.
He said: “Raising money was the main objective of the event, but people also donated their time, prizes, cakes and premises for this to be successful.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Taras on my first day as a volunteer at Colwick when the war broke out.
“Since then, we have shared many experiences and he has become instrumental and inspirational in the organisation of fundraising football matches.
“The planning and running of these events by a small but extremely dedicated team was as vigorous and energetic as ever.
“I look forward to the 2024 rematch because if the war ends today donations and humanitarian aid project funding will still be necessary in war-ravaged Ukraine.”
The tournament featured four teams, England, Ukraine, Ireland, and Poland, and it was the Ukrainian team that stole the headlines in the first semi-final.
They managed to grab a last gasp equaliser against a spirited England side, sending the game to a penalty shootout, which they won, securing their place in the final.
In the second semi-final, Ireland took on Poland in a feisty encounter.
The experienced Ireland side emerged victorious with a hard-fought 1-0 win, booking their spot in the final match.
The final saw Ireland take an early lead, which they managed to hold onto and bagged the trophy despite Ukraine’s best efforts.
This is the second year Taras and his team have co-ordinated the event.
Last year, Ireland won the trophy after the 3-2 win against Ukraine in the final.
