The latest from Westbury Welcome…
Keep up with our latest news below. You can also find our fundraising and social events on our Facebook page – just click here or search ‘Westbury Welcome’ on Facebook. In the past we’ve hosted a quiz, ceilidh and many more events, all of which have been great fun and a chance to get together and raise some vital funds. If you would like to join our mailing list to keep up to date with our work, please contact us via email or on our Contact us page.
Welcoming a third family
Exciting news! Westbury Welcome is planning to sponsor a third refugee family and help support them to resettle in Bristol.
We need your help to raise funds so that we can trigger the government’s Community Sponsorship programme.
Please get in touch if you would like to help.
Supporting Ukraine
We have been working hard to support those who have been affected by the war in Ukraine. We have welcomed a family to Westbury-on-Trym, are helping to run the Ukrainian Hub which has been set up in the WoT Methodist Church and are supporting others who are hosting Ukrainian guests. Please get in touch if you would like to help or need any support.
Homes for Ukraine
We are currently looking into how Westbury Welcome can help Ukrainian refugees settle in the UK. Within our group we have a wealth of experience helping families to resettle in the UK so we can offer our help and advice to anyone who has has offered their home to refugees.
You can register your interest on the Reset Homes for Ukraine page and further information can be found on the Government website.
We are also actively looking for rental properties with sympathetic landlords and looking into the possibility of finding people who would pledge to provide rent for the six months plus if needed. Please get in touch if you know anyone who could help.
Afghanistan: there is a way to help
We have all been moved by the recent events in Afghanistan, and may feel troubled, angry and helpless.
As a group of volunteers thousands of miles away, what can we do to make a difference? Surprisingly, the answer is…quite a lot.
Already, we have taken part in meetings organised by Citizens UK to plan a response from civil society. As a result we have added our names to a letter to the Home Office minister to ask for a detailed plan for the resettlement of Afghan refugees. You can read the full letter here.
We are writing to local newspapers and are contacting Bristol’s Mayor, Marvin Rees, to ask that our city plays its part in resettling these people, as it has done so well for Syrian refugees.
We’ve had lots of enquiries from local people who want to help, and are hoping to set up a new community sponsorship group in North Bristol which will be able to welcome a family from Afghanistan to the area. Please get in touch if you would like to know more.
Together we really can make a difference.
Sharing a big ‘thank you’
As the newly welcomed family are so appreciative of their new home and all the support they are being offered, they suggested that we asked them some questions about their life.
A few months ago, our lives were very different than they are now. We lived in a large and noisy refugee camp. We lived there for a very long time and lived in a small room with a toilet and area for cooking. We were excited but anxious about moving to Bristol. It was so scary not knowing what was ahead of us. We should not have been worried though. Since we have arrived we have been made to feel very welcome. Our house is so comfortable and Bristol is beautiful. We are particularly enjoying the silence, peace and quiet. We have started learning English and have attended banking, health and shopping trips. Our children have started school. We have lots to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for making this possible for us.
The family have arrived!
We are pleased to let you know that the resettled family have arrived and are settling in well. This was the delicious meal that the family had waiting for them when they arrived at their new home.
The children are enjoying being in their new school and the parents have started English lessons. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us get to this point, the family are so grateful for all the support. We will keep you updated over the next few months on how they are settling in.
Exciting news about a second family’s arrival!
We have had full approval from the Home Office and been matched with a family from Syria. They will be arriving early in 2021. We have a very busy team of volunteers who are getting everything ready to welcome the family.
Bridging the cultural gap
In October 2020, we were lucky enough to have Dan from Bridges for Communities run a training session on cultural awareness for our new and existing volunteers. It was a very interesting session where we learned about the context of the war in Syria; what it is like for a refugee family to move to the UK; and what challenges a family might face. We finished off with some practical tips for dealing with cultural difference. Did you know that in Arabic culture it is seen as rude to show the soles of your feet? It was good to be reminded that what's normal for you is not necessarily normal for everyone else!
Make your voice heard
Darren Jones, MP for Bristol NW, is very supportive of the work of Westbury Welcome. The more his constituents bring community sponsorship to his attention, the more it will help him in parliamentary discussions. If you can, please contact Darren Jones at www.darren-jones.co.uk
Update from the Munizel family
“We have a cat! Pepper is our black and white cat, he is 2 months and 2 weeks old, we got him when he was 10 weeks old. When we got him he hid a lot but now he is fine. He likes to sleep a lot and play with balls and string. He is okay with other animals and everyone likes him and plays with him. He is quiet sometimes and sometimes he is not.”
Thank you to a daughter from the Munizel family for introducing Pepper. What a cutie he sounds!