This year, we have ventured to start a new project, working with refugees recently arrived in the UK. We felt we had gained a lot of hands on knowledge and experience from working with refugees in Jordan that it was now time to share this with those in the UK. We approached a number of organisations and decided that our first project would be with
TUNBRIDGE WELLS WELCOMES REFUGEES
Here they tell us more about their mission.
Tunbridge Wells Welcomes Refugees (TWWR) began at the start of 2016, initially focused on finding accommodation for refugees located in Tunbridge Wells under the government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (SVPRS). Its aims soon evolved into the broader task of assisting refugee families (including some non-SVPRS) in a wide variety of ways official organisations could not provide. In 2017 TWWR was granted official Charity status, with a formal Board of Trustees. Its objectives were now, in brief: supporting resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers, fund-raising for financial hardship, addressing physical and mental health issues, provision of goods and services to assist integration and work-seeking (e.g. language skills), providing social activities etc. (such as a monthly social gathering, sport and excursions to places of interest), and to advance public education about issues facing refugees and promote a welcoming attitude. In 2017 and 2018 we held a highly successful ‘Festival of Hope’ event at local venue The Forum, which we are repeating in 2019 – this met several of these objectives of course. We aim to involve those we support as much as possible in determining our agenda to meet their needs.
We have donated some instruments and have an exciting new project in store for the summer months. More soon!
Harmony of Hope 