“It was like being back home for a while, really nice,” Ukrainian Tatjana texted us after Ciconia Consort’s concert last Wednesday night in TivoliVredenburg. Forty refugees listened to the sounds of the string orchestra in works by Boccherini and Ravel, among others. In Ukraine, especially for the slightly older generation, it is a real outing; going to a classical concert nicely dressed, enjoying it and meeting others. “I used to go to these kinds of concerts very often at home,” Tatiana said.

Before, Welkom in Utrecht cooperated with Ciconia Consort to make this possible. ‘There are not that many well-functioning and enthusiastic organizations in The Netherlands where distribution and support goes as well as it does at Welkom in Utrecht,’ says business leader Ellen Vergunst. And that is of course very nice to hear. The appreciation is mutual by the way.

Thanks, thanks!

On the : Aleksandr (Ukraine), Gilberto (El Salvador) and Evelien (Netherlands) at the concert. They know each other from a children’s activity on Friday afternoons. Every other week, children from families living in Star Lodge azc and Het Provinciehuis, which hosts Ukrainian refugees, play at VV Voorwaarts under the guidance of several volunteers.