Launch Event Update
Our launch charity event on the 15th June 2026 was attended by just over one hundred supporters, held at the brilliant Polish Hearth Club. The evening was opened by Boris Johnson who gave a rousing speech praising the resilience of the Ukraine people and the need to support all the huge work done by the medical and rehabilitation organisations in Ukraine and in particular, the Mercy & Health Foundation, where he visited in Kyiv in February 2026.
The St Mary's Ukrainian School Choir sang a beautiful anthem and then we all stood for a their wonderful and moving singing of the Ukrainian national anthem. Further speeches followed by the former minister, Volodymyr Omelyan who has been wounded twice. He emphasised the critical role in rehabilitation support in helping him to make a remarkable recovery. Finally, Dr Oleksandr Yatsyna thanked those present for the amazing help given to the Mercy & Health Foundation. He reported that their two centres, on average, treat over 30 patients a day in both in both physical and psychological support.
The charity auction and raffle raised an amazing £25,000 and we hope the whole launch evening will have contributed in excess of £40,000 to provide vital support to the rehabilitation services in Ukraine.
We will now purchase some of the specialist rehabilitation equipment needed and will look for further options to help financially support the running of rehabilitation services in Ukraine as well as providing treatment here in the UK.
Our Principal Speakers
Volodymyr Omelyan
Volodymyr Omelyan is a former Ukrainian diplomat and politician who served as Minister of Infrastructure from 2016-19.
As a Major serving in the 104 Territorial Defence Brigade, he was seriously wounded in the Kupyansk sector in the summer of 2024.
Dr Oleksandr Yatsyna
Dr Oleksandr Yatsyna is the director of the Mercy & Health Foundation. The Foundation was founded in 2016 by Oleksandr and his gynaecologist wife Katya.
The Foundation supports over 30 hospitals and continues to provide medical support to the Ukraine military in the form of ambulances, medical packs and clinicians. The Foundation has two rehabilitation centres in Kyiv working 7 days a week providing psychological and physiotherapy support to civilians, veterans & soldiers.
Our launch event marked the public start of UK/Ukraine Rehabilitation. The Mercy & Health Foundation operates seven days a week to help war-injured Ukrainians reclaim their physical and medical independence. Whilst they have dedicated teams of psychologists and physiotherapists on the ground, what they urgently need are the advanced medical tools to make that physical recovery a reality.
During the launch evening, our mission was to raise over £50,000 to gift two critical pieces of specialist rehabilitation equipment directly to Mercy & Health's clinic in Kyiv:
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A Specialist Gait Trainer: A targeted mechanical system that safely supports patients with severe spinal and lower-limb injuries, allowing them to bear weight and physically relearn how to walk.
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A Non-Invasive Neurostimulation System: Advanced technology designed to accelerate neural pathway recovery and manage complex nerve trauma without surgery.
As well as this, we raised urgent funds to help support Mercy & Health's dedicated team of psychologists and physiotherapists working 7 days a week.
Charity Commission for England and Wales — Number 1215935
Working with Mercy & Health Foundation, Kyiv.
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