TWR was set up a year ago, and
has made a really positive start. We have been working with our local council
to support Syrian refugee families in the area, teaching English to small
numbers of refugees and asylum seekers, and working with several local schools
to increase understanding of what it means to be a refugee. In Refugee Week, we
hosted a colourful event right in the centre of Tonbridge, and we also ran a
poetry and poster competition for under-18s, whose inspiring entries have been
on display in the library all summer long.
There is so much more we could
do, however. As we move into our second year, we would like – with your help –
to expand the support services we can offer to refugees and asylum seekers
trying to rebuild their lives in our communities. We need help with the
following projects:
- Welcoming Syrian families. Our borough council
has promised to house ten Syrian families over the next few years, and we are
working closely with them to support these families as they arrive. One of our
main challenges is identifying houses: we need to find properties available to
rent on the private market, which means finding landlords willing to rent to
refugees. We would welcome any help thinking of effective ways to reach out to
landlords, as well as with providing a warm community welcome to families once
they are here.
- A mentoring scheme: We are in the process of
setting up a scheme that will provide unaccompanied asylum seeking children in
our area with a mentor, to support them as they adapt to life in a new country.
We would love to hear from you if you are interested in mentoring.
- A teaching programme: We are hoping to start a
regular class teaching English to refugees and asylum seekers in our area. We
are looking for teachers and other support staff to get this programme up and
running.
- Community outreach: We would like to continue
with, and improve upon, our community outreach,
thinking of new ways to engage
with our local communities. We would like to continue working with schools, and
also to reach out to local businesses and civil society to see how they might
get involved in helping support refugees.
- Fundraising/Event planning: While our
organisation is entirely voluntary, we do of course need funds to keep our
projects going. We would love some help planning innovative ways to raise
funds, and to plan some fun events along the way.
If you would like to be involved
in any of these projects, please let us know by emailing info@tonbridgewelcomesrefugees.co.uk. While we welcome any specialist skills – be it experience teaching, or working
with young people – we also welcome anyone with a bit of enthusiasm and time. We
also welcome offers of help with administrative tasks, and any more general
support – be it sharing a Facebook post, or turning up to support our events. Thank you
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