The Government has kept its promise to relocate 1,000 Syrian refugees under the Vulnerable Person’s Relocation Scheme by Christmas. In our area, Birmingham received its first refugees under the scheme on 17th December. The family of four are settling in and Refugee Action staff and volunteers will be looking after them as they get used to the West Midlands. Coventry has already taken 100+, Belfast, the Scottish Kyles of Bute and Newcastle (8 families there) have also been recipients during December 2015.
This gives us hope that Bromsgrove will receive a small number in the coming year and we have much to offer; this is a great little town in a beautiful area yet close to Birmingham. In order to speak to the new arrivals until they speak English, free Arabic language and culture classes are being given by Dr Hani Hussein on alternate Tuesday evenings at St John’s Church Hall, Kidderminster Rd. Please contact info@bromsgrovewelcomesrefugees.uk for more information.
On 17th February at 8.00pm Dr Jenny Phillimore, Director of IRiS, Birmingham University’s research group into migrant integration and an internationally recognised expert on this subject, will be speaking at a public meeting in Bromsgrove. This is a free event open to all and more information will be posted on this site in the New Year.
Bromsgrove & Redditch Welcome Refugees is working with Malvern Welcomes Syrian Refugees and a joint training day has been arranged on Saturday 5th March in Malvern. More information will follow.