A Goudhurst woman is organising a musical tie-up between schools in Kent and a Ukrainian choir from Kyiv in time for Christmas.

Christina Yates is the principal of the YT93 Performing Arts Academy based in the village, as well as a LAMDA teacher at St Ronan's School in Hawkhurst.

She is working with a team of music producers to create a combined English and Ukrainian performance of the song Carol of the Bells, which has was penned by an American writer to music from a traditional Ukrainian 'well-wisher' song.

Mrs Yates has really taken the plight of Ukraine to heart.

Since June she has been hosting a Ukrainian family, comprising Anna Zhovnirchyk, a primary school teacher; her son Dmytro, known as Dima, aged nine, and her mother, 58-year-old Svitlana Yatsenko.

Mrs Yates explained: "Just recently Kyiv has been in everyone's minds again with the recent rocket attacks on the city, but before that I felt there had been a bit of numbness creeping in about the plight of the Ukrainians.

"I hope by organising this event it will help bring Ukraine back to the forefront of people's minds - and perhaps raise some vital funds to help in the re-building of their country."

Mrs Yates runs a regular two-hour session in Goudhurst on Mondays, where Ukrainian families can go along for practical help with tasks like filling in forms, or just have the opportunity to socialise.

Around 15 Ukrainian families from across the Weald regularly attend.

Now Mrs Yates has persuaded children from Lamberhurst, Goudhurst and Benenden Primary Schools to join with students from Benenden School and her own performing arts school children to record the English contribution to the musical extravaganza, while a Ukrainian actress Ksenia Lisovskaya is organising a choir at a theatre in Kyiv from their end.

All the performances will be recorded and mixed together so that the final product appears to be one big choir singing together.

The song will begin with a solo from a young Ukrainian bandura player, 14-year-old Liza Kucher, who is currently a student at Benenden School, where she is one of four refugees who have been given a free place by the school. A bandura is a Ukrainian instrument that is a bit like a cross between a guitar and a harp.

Mrs Yates said: "Liza's playing is lovely and will be the perfect accompaniment."

The song Carol of the Bells, was adapted from a traditional Ukrainian folk tune, sung not so much at Christmas as at New Year. It was originally a tale of a swallow arriving to tell the family of their good fortune ahead in the coming year, and was appropriately enough, a song of hope and optimism for a better future.

Readers are more likely to know it with Christmas lyrics, as used in the Macaulay Culkin movie Home Alone.