Charity Supported by Princess Faces Funding Crisis

A Bracknell charity visited by the Princess of Wales is fighting for its future after being told council funding will be withdrawn.

Vsi Razom Community Hub, in Princess Square, was set up after the war in Ukraine and now supports Ukrainian families and the wider local community. Its name means "All Together" in Ukrainian. It was launched by Natalia Vil and Ashleigh Toomey after they began collecting and sending donated items to Ukraine and then opened a permanent hub as arrivals came to Bracknell Forest.

Ms Vil said: "We have just received a letter from the council to say thank you for everything we have done but after three years they are withdrawing funding. We were a bit shocked and not sure what to do next. It has left us at risk. We will find a way of surviving. There are so many people out there who need our help and who are relying on us. We are expanding what we offer and are looking for more funding, but it has made things difficult."

She added: "We want to stay here and continue to help."

The hub came to national attention in 2023 when the Princess of Wales visited. Recalling it, Ms Vil said: "I was so nervous. We had a call from Buckingham Palace some time before asking if we would be interested in a member of the Royal Family visiting us. It was a massive moment that I will never forget."

Ms Vil was later invited to the Princess of Wales's Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey and said: "My friends and family couldn't believe it when I appeared on television."

The charity is now seeking donations and other funding to keep running and hopes to broaden its services for the wider community.

In a statement, Abby Thomas, assistant director of communities and policy at Bracknell Forest Council, said: "We recognise the valuable support that Vsi Razom Community Hub provides to local residents both from the Ukrainian and wider communities and understand the concerns about its future funding. Like all charities, Vsi Razom is responsible for planning for, and securing, its long-term sustainability and exploring a range of funding opportunities, and they are working with Involve to identify other grants to help support its longer-term future. Over the past three years, Bracknell Forest Council has provided the charity with three grants totalling £45,000, helping it to establish and develop its services to assist the wider community. The council is currently reviewing its budgets to determine what funding may be available in the future."

They continued: "We remain committed to working with Vsi Razom as it works on sustaining its services."

To support or find out more, contact the hub at vsirazom@yahoo.com.

Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter