Portsmouth party people ‘Rave 4 Ukraine’ in 18 hour mini-festival raising cash for crucial humanitarian and medical aid

Southsea couple Olga Kravchenko and Kriss Baird teamed up with the team at the Moonshine and Prohibition Club in Granada Road to host the event.

DJs, musicians, and event organisers also got on board, helping to make the event a success.

Three ‘mini events’ took place from 9am on Sunday, April 10, until 3am on Monday morning, including yoga in the morning, family-friendly activities such as a ‘baby rave’ in the afternoon and clubbing in the evening.

Olga says that ‘her heart is filled with love’ after seeing the outpouring of support that the fundraising event has had.

The 27-year-old entrepreneur said: ‘It’s going great - so many people, the turn out is amazing.

‘It’s amazing to see the support.

‘This kind of event is our way to get the community to continue to support Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees.

‘All we’ve asked is for people to come and enjoy themselves.’

The couple hope to raise around £3,000 with the event, which will go towards the Portsmouth-based Parenting Network’s efforts to supply aid to the Ukrainian borders, as well as the humanitarian and medical aid organisation YOUKraine Foundation, based in Odessa.

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth winner has a month to claim £1m Millionaire Maker prize

Olga added: ‘Every single penny we get is going to charity.’

The family session on Sunday afternoon was sold out, with around 50 families taking part in a silent disco and painting, as well as enjoying a cake sale and a balloon artist.

Along with her fiancé Kriss, 40, who works for a blockchain company, Olga moved to Southsea in January 2021.

Olga’s mother and grandmother were at the event, helping run the silent disco.

They were welcomed from Kyiv to Portsmouth two weeks ago, and Olga says that they have felt ‘really loved by the community’.

She added: ‘I don’t fully comprehend how much trauma they have been through getting here. It has been really hard for them.

‘Every single time we get upset we just remember that there are people who don’t have homes, there are people who have died.

‘It breaks our hearts. It makes you feel like there’s a hole inside of you - but you can’t give up and you can’t get depressed.’