Edinburgh charity creates heart-warming video of Ukrainian children trying Irn-Bru for the first time

An Edinburgh charity has created a heart-warming video showing Ukrainian children trying Irn-Bru for the first time. 

Published 3rd Oct 2016
Updated 8 th Aug 2023

Dnipro Kids, a charity set up in 2005 by Hibernian fans to help orphaned children in Ukraine, created the video after some of the kids were given Irn-Bru for the first time and were asked to describe the drink.

Duncan MacRae of the charity filmed the clip on a 16-hour sleeper train journey from the beautiful and historic Kamyanets-Podilsky region to Dnipro where the children live with their orphanage families.

Duncan said: "Their four-day trip was funded by Dnipro Kids sponsors and donors and it's thanks to them we are able to take the kids on amazing trips like this each year.

"The majority of Dnipro Kids supporters live in Scotland and may never get the chance to meet these wonderful children, who are full of so much love and jocularity.

"With this video, we wanted to show everyone how amazing these kids are, what fantastic personalities they have and just how much fun they have while on these trips.

"Also, we really have no idea what Irn Bru is supposed to taste of and, although the taste test was not entirely scientific, we were genuinely interested in the honest, impartial opinions of the children."

Tasting notes

Most of the children seemed to be in agreement that it tasted of candy, with other flavours such as lemon, orange and even grapefruit being mentioned as each gave their opinion of Scotland's famous soft drink.

Oddly, a few even thought it tasted salty, much to the confusion of the adults.

Judging by the smiles on their faces most of them enjoyed the experience with one little girl in particular seemingly entranced by the fizzy drink.

New bar with Scotland's largest collection of rum to open in Edinburgh 

The video was shared online on social media sites such as Twitter and Reddit, with some users commenting that they have been drinking Irn-Bru all of their lives and that they didn't think they could adequately "explain or describe the taste" either, while another joked that none of the kids on the train featured in the clip would be getting a nap anytime soon.

Dnipro

One of the children patiently waits for the Irn-Bru to be poured. Picture: Youtube

The Appeal

The Dnipro Kids Appeal was formed after Hibs fans were moved by the suffering they saw when their team faced Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the Uefa Cup in 2005.

READ MORE: Charity to help Ukraine orphans still going strong

What had been intended as a one-off donation to help stricken kids at the Predniprovsk Tuberculosis Children's Centre then snowballed, leading to the Dnipro Appeal being registered as a charity in Scotland.

Dnipro

Charity organisers Colin Dudgeon, Steven Carr, Mark Strachan and Graeme Barclay in Dnipropetrovsk. Picture: Rob McDougall

Since that match in September 2005, tens of thousands of pounds have poured into Dnipro Kids, the charity launched soon after the final whistle, which has gone on to change lives at home and abroad.

10 facts you (probably) didn't know about Guinness

Most of the money has come from the wallets and purses of Hibs fans, determined to continue to help the orphaned and needy children of the struggling Ukrainian city.

The charity recently brought over 20 of the children to Scotland to enjoy a 10 day trip to the country and take in a Hibernian game. Charity organiser Steven Carr said that the kids were "very taken with Edinburgh" and that he hoped they "would go home with some lasting happy memories" of the trip.

• To  find out more about the charity you can visit their website at http://dniprokids.com or if you would like to donate to Dnipro Kids and help improve the lives of orphans in Ukraine, simply text DNPR16, followed by the amount you wish to donate (eg DNPR16 £5) to 70070.

Copyright ©2024 National World Publishing Ltd
Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy Policy
crosschevron-down linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram