School pupils have come together for a special environmental project, which has also encouraged them to think of the plight of Ukraine.
Organised by the benefice of Kirkby-in-Cleveland, Ingleby Greenhow, Chop Gate and Kildale, through the joint eco-church committee, more than 200 children at four schools were invited to design a sunflower on a paper plate, and think about the ways in which sunflowers play a part in nature.
The project also had another aim, involving Ukraine. Ten-year-old Ukrainian schoolboy, Mark, now living in Stokesley with his family, came and addressed all four schools and described the significance of the sunflower for his country. He told them the yellow of the Ukrainian flag symbolises sunflowers, with the blue of the sky below.
Mark also told the children how the dam that burst as a result of Russian airstrikes and flooded a large part of the country, with severe environmental results, had at least one positive outcome - flamingos took up residence in Ukraine and even hatched chicks.
Mark, who attends Hutton Rudby School and is completely fluent after arriving in UK two years ago with no English at all, also agreed to address the united benefice service at St Hilda's in Chop Gate on Sunday, May 26, where all the sunflower designs were exhibited.
His mum, Inna, spoke of the situation in Ukraine and the pressing need for more UK hosts to offer refuge to those caught up in the conflict as it goes into its third summer.
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