Ukraine war: How Halifax and rest of Calderdale will mark 12 month anniversary of Russian invasion

A national minute’s silence will take place at 11am to mark 12 months since the barbaric Russian invasion.

At 6pm, the Halifax branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain will lay a wreath at the war memorial in Halifax before a candlelit procession to Halifax Minster.

There, Vicar of Halifax The Rev Canon Hilary Barber will join Father Joshua Hilton, of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church and other faith leaders for a prayers for peace service.

Everyone is being invited to attend the service, which will include a performance from a choir whose members are all Ukrainian refugees.

Anyone who attends is being asked to wear blue and yellow – the colours of Ukraine’s flag.

Calderdale Council is flying the Ukrainian flag from Halifax Town Hall today and Wainhouse Tower will be lit up in blue and yellow.

In Hebden Bridge, Ukrainian refugees from Calder Community Cares will be volunteering their time to say thank you to the community and cooking homemade soup at the Good Shepherd for over 200 households.

The soup will be handed out as part of a winter care pack to vulnerable and elderly residents.

Additional items in the pack include a hand-crocheted blanket from the Chatty Crochet Club.

The outbreak of the war last year saw a massive aid campaign launched which is still ongoing and has seen tonnes of aid donated by people from Calderdale sent to people in Ukraine and who have fled the country.

And dozens of people across the borough have opened their homes to welcome Ukrainian refugees, offering them safety from the invasion.