All For Ukraine

Amazing to see Reddish's Jez Myers and Maria Romanenko tell the story of their experiences in February 2022 this evening at Aviva Studios. You can follow their work at All For Ukraine

Last week, we had the privilege of sharing How NOT to Flee a War at Settle Stories in North Yorkshire, connecting with an incredible audience both in the room and online. ✨

We are so grateful for everyone who listened so attentively, asked such thoughtful questions during our Q&A, and shared their hearts with us. The wonderful new connections we made in Settle are ones we will cherish and maintain moving forward. 💙💛

A huge thank you to the organisers for having us, and to Garry Cook for capturing these beautiful moments! 📸

The journey continues, and our calendar is packed! We’re bringing this vital story to four more cities over the next week:

📍 Nottinghamshire: This Sunday, June 14 at 11:00 AM (National Holocaust Centre and Museum)
📍 Manchester: Wednesday, June 17
📍 Newcastle: Thursday, June 18
📍 Grantham: Friday, June 19

These are stories of resilience, reality, and hope that you won’t hear anywhere else. We would love to see you there.

📍 NEWCASTLE EVENT: How NOT to Flee a War

What does the first morning of a full-scale invasion actually look and feel like?

On February 24, 2022, Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko and her British partner Jez Myers woke up to the sound of explosions in Kyiv. What followed after was a chaotic, uncertain, and deeply personal journey to escape a city under immediate threat.

Next month, they are coming to Newcastle to share their story first-hand.

How NOT to Flee a War is a raw, honest, and surprisingly humorous account of their journey out of Ukraine. Moving away from polished survival narratives, Maria and Jez use personal storytelling and real images from the road to unpack the reality of the invasion's first days: the traffic, exhaustion, panic, misinformation, and border chaos.

Through Maria’s perspective as a Ukrainian and Jez’s as a British expat, this talk is both a gripping personal account and a wider reflection on displacement, resilience, and loss.

👤 About the Speakers

Maria Romanenko: A prominent Ukrainian journalist, former Editor-in-Chief of Hromadske International, and recipient of the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award. She has conducted over 1,000 media interviews globally.

Jez Myers: CEO of All For Ukraine, business consultant, and recipient of the Pride of Manchester Award for his work advising local governments on supporting displaced Ukrainians.
Together, they co-founded All For Ukraine to support those affected by the war.

🗓️ Event Details

📅 Date: Thursday, June 18th, 2026
📍 Location: Newcastle City Library
🎟️ Tickets/Registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-not-to-flee-a-war-tickets-1986306918463

Space may be limited, so please book your spot in advance. We look forward to seeing the Newcastle community there for an evening of vital storytelling.

Last night, All For Ukraine was honoured to be represented by Maria Romanenko and Jez Myers at the ! 2026 Award Ceremony, where we were proud to be nominated in the Best Volunteer Organisation category 💜

It was a deeply uplifting evening celebrating Stockport’s volunteers, charities, and community organisations, all of whom are making a real and lasting difference across the town.

Being in a room filled with so many people committed to service, community, and positive impact was genuinely inspiring.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Stockport County Football Club for hosting the event, and to Stockport Volunteer Hub, Sector 3 Stockport, and Stockport Council for organising such a thoughtful celebration of the VCFSE sector.

As an organisation, we feel incredibly grateful for the warmth and support we’ve received from the Stockport community over the past four years. It’s a privilege to stand alongside so many others working to strengthen and support our local area ❤️

Manchester, we’re finally bringing How NOT to Flee a War home! 🐝🇺🇦

After taking the talk to festivals, galleries, universities, and even the Welsh Parliament, Maria Romanenko and Jez Myers will be taking the stage at one of the UK’s most exciting venues: Aviva Studios.

This is not a political lecture or a history lesson.

It’s a deeply personal story about war, escape, survival, identity, mistakes, grief, dark humour, and what happens when ordinary life disappears overnight, told from two very different perspectives: a Ukrainian journalist whose life was rooted in Kyiv and her British partner suddenly trapped inside a war zone.

People often come expecting something heavy and it is. But they also leave laughing, reflecting and seeing Ukraine in a completely different way.

We’re also incredibly excited that Chris Warburton from BBC Radio 5 Live will be joining us on stage for a live conversation after the talk.

The event is open to everyone and will serve as the main Refugee Week event at Aviva Studios this year.

📅 Wednesday, 17 June
🕖 7:00–9:00 PM
📍 Aviva Studios, Manchester

You don’t need any prior knowledge about Ukraine to come. In fact, if you know very little, the experience may be even more powerful.

🎟 Tickets are free, but booking is essential, grab yours now: https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/how-not-to-flee-a-war/

Last month, Maria Romanenko had the opportunity to attend a four-day seminar hosted by Aspen Italia in Tuscany, representing The Aspen Institute UK and All For Ukraine.

Bringing together a diverse group of voices, the seminar focused on leadership, society, human nature, philosophy, and responsibility, creating space for thoughtful, in-depth discussions that go far beyond day-to-day work.

It was an environment where different perspectives met openly and where titles and roles quickly became secondary to ideas, values, and lived experience.

Events like this often show up as an opportunity to step back, listen and engage in conversations that challenge how we think about leadership and our role in society today. You not always have to be the loudest in the room to be heard.

We’re incredibly grateful to Aspen Italia, the moderators, and all participants for creating such a meaningful and thought-provoking experience.