УКР On January 10, 2026, the Ukrainian choirs “Ukrainian Voices” and “Nebo i Zemlia” held a concert of traditional Ukrainian carols in Lindfield, East Sussex (UK).
Through ticket sales and donations, the audience raised £1,079, which the choirs donated to the Leleka Foundation to support Ukrainian field medics.
The evening brought together Ukrainians and Britons around music that carries people through winter—warm, familiar, and deeply human. For Leleka, it also meant more life-saving supplies for medics working at the pre-hospital stage, where every minute matters most.
“That’s why we try, we sing.”
Liudmyla Kulakova, musical director of both choirs, came to Britain under the Homes for Ukraine program. She says the concert was both cultural work and a personal responsibility.
“I feel a certain duty to Ukraine and, especially, to its defenders,” Liudmyla shared. Choir members Nataliia and Daria propose to support Leleka —“a worthy choice,” she noted—because supplying medics means saving lives.
For Liudmyla, the choirs serve several missions at once: introducing British audiences to Ukrainian traditional music, helping displaced Ukrainians stay connected to their homeland through song, and raising funds for Ukraine’s defenders and trusted volunteer organizations. “That’s why we try, we sing,” she said.
“Not for Ukrainians, but with Ukrainians”
The Lindfield concert was organized with the support of Bing Lyle, a British folk musician, choir member, and accordionist. Bing first connected with Ukrainian singers at an Anglo-Ukrainian gathering in Lewes in summer 2022.
“Their singing just got under my skin,” he recalled, describing how a desire to help grew into regular benefit events. For Bing, it mattered that these efforts be shared: not something done for Ukrainians, but together with Ukrainians.
When asked why Leleka felt like the right choice, Bing pointed to the organization’s focus on emergency medical supplies “where it matters most,” and to the trust built through personal connections—choir members who had known Leleka’s work firsthand.
He also added that the world cannot allow Putin to succeed: “On a personal level, this became obvious to me thanks to the people from Ukraine whom I met here. But on a geopolitical, more global level, I think we should help Ukraine because Ukrainians are the frontline of a larger struggle. And this is another level of motivation for me”.
“Leleka Foundation is deeply grateful to the choirs, organizers, and everyone who attended, donated, and helped make this concert possible. £1,079 is real help—turned into supplies that keep medics equipped, protected, and able to save lives,” Leleka`s President Vadim Geshel added.
About the choirs
“Ukrainian Voices” (Brighton) and “Nebo i Zemlia” (Lewes) are neighboring South Coast choirs founded by Ukrainian women who arrived in the UK after fleeing the war in 2022. Both ensembles are led by Liudmyla Kulakova, a professional folklorist and graduate of the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv.
