• BRWR Activities

Bromsgrove & Redditch Welcome Refugees is a community group of people who welcome and support Syrian and Afghan refugees locally. Our group is open to all, of all faiths and none, and all political persuasions and none. We call on all citizens of Bromsgrove and Redditch to join us in this work.

You can now donate to our Not For Profit organisation via PayPal. Thank you for your generosity.

Facts about the Syrian conflict

Since March 2011

  • Death toll 400,000
  • Political prisoners 150,000
  • Over 17,723 Syrians killed in regime prisons by torture, starvation and execution
  • 50% of Syria's population displaced by the conflict: 6 million internally displaced, 5 million refugees

The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme

The refugees admitted under the SVPR scheme will be granted five years’ Humanitarian Protection including the right to work, eligibility for welfare benefits, access to statutory services such as health and education, as well as the right to apply for family reunification. It is operating in conjunction with the UNHCR, who are helping the government identify those individuals who are most vulnerable and cannot be adequately protected in the region.

 

How can we all help?

We now support Syrian, Afghani and Ukrainian refugees in our district.

20 Syrians arrived in Redditch in 2016, and now only 11 remain in Bromsgrove out of 20 who arrived 2018/2019. Since then there have been births and deaths. Worcestershire County Council in partnership with Refugee Action, provide private sector rented accommodation with basic furnishings. We augmented this with better quality soft furnishings such as warm duvets, softer pillows, rugs, TVs, warm clothing, toys for the children etc. All these have either been practical donations to us, or paid for by donated funds, or money from fund raising events.

We initially provided a conversation café in both Bromsgrove and Redditch for our Syrian friends to practise their English, up till the pandemic which forced closure. We provide lifts to doctor, hospital and dental appointments where required. One of our regular activities was a bi-monthly lunch hub with bring and share food, in order to facilitate friendships with each other and help them integrate with local people. Covid restrictions ended this. We also provided a craft club in Redditch for a short while and have always arranged social events and outings to other places. Most importantly we provide friendship and help with day-to-day problems such as difficulties with paying bills, attending the job centre and applying for jobs.

We now offer welcome advice and community support to the Ukrainians in Redditch.

Our biggest challenge is to get and keep enough volunteers to help us undertake the tasks outlined above. We particularly need befrienders, a new treasurer, English teachers, and people willing to help with fund raising events, as we do not receive any other regular funding. This is where you come in!

Get involved today