Refugee Week 2024: West Midlands Events
Refugee Week 2024 was certainly memorable, filled with activities celebrating our community and highlighting the positive impacts of refugees in the UK. We particularly spread the inspiring message of 'Our Home,' which is the theme for Refugee Week 2024 by creating a beautiful video collage of responses from our community about what home means to them. You can watch the video here.
In Coventry we enjoyed a sunny and beautiful day as we gave away free traditional coffee from Sudan, Iran, and Eritrea in the city centre. It was a valuable opportunity to meet new people and spread our message of better inclusion, compassion, and empowerment. We couldn't decide which traditional flavor people loved the most, but the overarching highlight was that this traditional coffee and tea were prepared by our amazing tenants from these nationalities. On Saturday, we also gathered at the Muslim Resource Centre with like-minded organisations to continue the commemoration of Refugee Week through a physical display stall.
In Birmingham, we were bustling with activities! We started with a week-long random gift giveaway at our office to give visitors an experience of Refugee Week. Anyone who walked into our office left with a randomly selected gift. We held an outdoor picnic in collaboration with local partners, and on Wednesday, we screened the thought-provoking movie "NEHOUR" for our tenants and staff, complete with pizza, popcorn, cheese balls, and soft drinks.
On Friday, we proudly supported our Support Team Leader, Mary Unsworth, as she, in partnership with Aston University, launched a paper on Refugee Housing in Birmingham. We concluded our Refugee Week activities at Symphony Hall, joining similar organisations to celebrate our community’s art and creativity through various performances and art craft displays from Ukraine, Congo and South Africa.
In Wolverhampton, we brought our community together for a communal feast which was very well received and a film screening. Over in Solihull, our clients cooked up a storm on Saturday, preparing delicious cultural dishes like 'Borscht' to share together at the Sunflower House Solihull. There was plenty of music, laughter, enjoyment, and amazing food. Most importantly, it was about being part of ACH’s family. We also had amazing activities in our Bristol office (see previous post). It was indeed a delightful week filled with fun and reflection!
While community activities like this are not new to us, Refugee Week was special due to the power of numbers. The collaboration of similar organisations amplified our voice and message.
We remain committed to ensuring that individuals seeking refuge in the UK are treated with dignity and feel at home. We are dedicated to assisting them through supported housing, employability, and entrepreneurial support to help them thrive. We invite you to join us in making home truly feel like home for them. If you are interested in any joint initiative with us, please email us at marketing@ach.org.uk
