On behalf of everyone at Herts Welcomes Refugees, we wish you a very happy and safe New Year. This past year has required great changes for our charity as well as for the refugee families in our area. We want to thank our volunteers and supporters who continue to amaze us with their generosity and dedication - supporting others through these difficult times and coming up with new ways of assisting them. We look forward to a time when the refugee families and our volunteers can again meet up in person, sharing a traditional meal and a welcoming embrace.
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We exceeded our goal and have raised over £5,000 for our Christmas Appeal - an amazing result. The money will help families and individuals across the county to buy Christmas food and a few extra goodies. We've also sent new books to each of the 124 children supported by our charity. Thank you so much to all of you who so generously donated. At this difficult time, your support is needed and appreciated more than ever.
WISHING YOU ALL SEASON'S GREETINGS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR! We are looking for an enthusiastic volunteer to run our Bike Recycling scheme.
You would help with the collection and distribution of bikes, thus enabling refugees to get to school/college/work/shops, to move around their new communities and to experience the general benefits of cycling. This is a great opportunity for someone who knows a little about bike mechanics - changing inner tubes, tightening brakes and generally ensuring roadworthiness of donated bikes - or is willing to learn these skills, has some spare time and some storage capacity for bicycles. Whilst other volunteers can help with collection and delivery you will need a car and bike rack. You will also need DBS clearance, which will be arranged and funded by Herts Welcomes Refugees, who will also refund costs of petrol and purchases of bike sundries. The scheme, which has been running for about 5 years, has proved to be a great benefit to newly-arrived refugees across the county and as part of the organisation you will experience the pleasure and enthusiasm of the recipients. For more details of the scheme please contact current co-ordinator Chris Rigby chris.s.rigby@outlook.com Herts Welcomes Refugees |
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St Albans Masorti Synagogue (SAMS) went online this year for their annual family tea with Herts Welcomes Refugees which was replaced by a recipe swap, virtual tea and Q & A session.
Before the virtual tea, attendees had been able to follow YouTube recipe videos supplied by Nadia Alomar making delicious Syrian qatayef pancakes and SAMS member Victoria Prever making scones. Victoria and Nadia also met outside to swap scones and qatayef to taste each other’s teatime treats.
You can see the videos and recipes at https://bit.ly/nadiaqatayef and https://bit.ly/Victoriascones
On Sunday, members of both groups sat down to scones and/or qatayef in their own homes, while they took part in a zoom discussion chaired by SAMS member Helen Singer about the different food customs around afternoon tea.
Helen said, “This was a lovely way to share and swap recipes. SAMS are so grateful to Nadia, her son Amr for filming her and HWR volunteer Kate for helping Nadia explain the recipe and prepare to answer questions in English. Thanks also to the other HWR members who took part.”
Victoria said, “The qatayef were delicious and so pretty. It was very interesting to hear about Syrian food customs and to meet the lovely Syrian bakers.”
Before the virtual tea, attendees had been able to follow YouTube recipe videos supplied by Nadia Alomar making delicious Syrian qatayef pancakes and SAMS member Victoria Prever making scones. Victoria and Nadia also met outside to swap scones and qatayef to taste each other’s teatime treats.
You can see the videos and recipes at https://bit.ly/nadiaqatayef and https://bit.ly/Victoriascones
On Sunday, members of both groups sat down to scones and/or qatayef in their own homes, while they took part in a zoom discussion chaired by SAMS member Helen Singer about the different food customs around afternoon tea.
Helen said, “This was a lovely way to share and swap recipes. SAMS are so grateful to Nadia, her son Amr for filming her and HWR volunteer Kate for helping Nadia explain the recipe and prepare to answer questions in English. Thanks also to the other HWR members who took part.”
Victoria said, “The qatayef were delicious and so pretty. It was very interesting to hear about Syrian food customs and to meet the lovely Syrian bakers.”
In conjunction with our new children’s library project, we recently held a Storytime Zoom session for refugee children in Hertfordshire during the half-term. The session, which was Halloween themed, attracted twenty-three participants, some of whom were dressed up in costume. We were particularly impressed with the three witches.
Sticking with the Halloween theme, we read Funnybones and Room on the Broom, which the children enjoyed thoroughly. We also led a bit of singing and were pleased to see how the children participated. The aim of these storytime sessions is to encourage children to read and enjoy stories, and we hope to run a few more over the Christmas holidays.
Sticking with the Halloween theme, we read Funnybones and Room on the Broom, which the children enjoyed thoroughly. We also led a bit of singing and were pleased to see how the children participated. The aim of these storytime sessions is to encourage children to read and enjoy stories, and we hope to run a few more over the Christmas holidays.
Herts Welcomes Refugees was thrilled to recently host award-winning children’s author Onjali Rauf on a Youth Zoom call with over thirty children supported by our charity.
Onjali read the children an extract from one of her novels, The Boy at the Back of the Class, which tells the story of a refugee boy living in the UK. Onjali discussed bullying and shared some of her own experiences before listening to the children, who opened up about their lives.
A lively Q&A covered topics such as writing, books, friendships, school, food, and pomegranates. The children loved meeting Onjali and were truly inspired by her openness and warmth. We’re so grateful that she offered to do this, and look forward to reading more of her work in future.
Onjali read the children an extract from one of her novels, The Boy at the Back of the Class, which tells the story of a refugee boy living in the UK. Onjali discussed bullying and shared some of her own experiences before listening to the children, who opened up about their lives.
A lively Q&A covered topics such as writing, books, friendships, school, food, and pomegranates. The children loved meeting Onjali and were truly inspired by her openness and warmth. We’re so grateful that she offered to do this, and look forward to reading more of her work in future.
Herts Welcomes Refugees is pleased to announce the launch of our Children’s Library Project. Starting this month, we will be distributing a bundle of specially selected books to each of the 122 children supported by Herts Welcomes Refugees, ranging in age from infant to 18 years. Books will be sent out at least three times a year, and children will be free to keep any of the books that they enjoy.
The idea for this project was developed by the daughter of our volunteer incoming treasurer. Ten-year-old Roma is a book lover and wanted to make sure that refugee children in our area have access to great books at home. She and another volunteer’s daughter will be writing a library newsletter that will go out to all of the children receiving books. So far, over five hundred books have been distributed through this project.
Incoming Treasurer Mala Mulholland is running the library and has been collecting book donations in her home over the past few months. Along with fiction and non-fiction titles, she is currently collecting GCSE Maths and English books, as well as any A-Level Study guides. The library will not draw money from our charity’s funds unless a donation is specifically marked for this purpose (Reference: Library Fund). Mala will be working to raise money for this project through grants, donations, and sponsorships. She intends to learn more about each child’s reading tastes and to send out books that will best meet their needs.
At the moment, with Covid-19 making libraries more difficult to access and creating financial and emotional hardships for some families, we believe that the gift of books can offer multiple benefits: widening perspectives, offering comfort and relief, as well as improving vocabulary and literacy.
Mala continues to collect used children’s books in very good condition, so if you’d like to donate books, please contact her directly at Mala.Mulholland@hwsf.org.uk
The idea for this project was developed by the daughter of our volunteer incoming treasurer. Ten-year-old Roma is a book lover and wanted to make sure that refugee children in our area have access to great books at home. She and another volunteer’s daughter will be writing a library newsletter that will go out to all of the children receiving books. So far, over five hundred books have been distributed through this project.
Incoming Treasurer Mala Mulholland is running the library and has been collecting book donations in her home over the past few months. Along with fiction and non-fiction titles, she is currently collecting GCSE Maths and English books, as well as any A-Level Study guides. The library will not draw money from our charity’s funds unless a donation is specifically marked for this purpose (Reference: Library Fund). Mala will be working to raise money for this project through grants, donations, and sponsorships. She intends to learn more about each child’s reading tastes and to send out books that will best meet their needs.
At the moment, with Covid-19 making libraries more difficult to access and creating financial and emotional hardships for some families, we believe that the gift of books can offer multiple benefits: widening perspectives, offering comfort and relief, as well as improving vocabulary and literacy.
Mala continues to collect used children’s books in very good condition, so if you’d like to donate books, please contact her directly at Mala.Mulholland@hwsf.org.uk
The face coverings made by one of our refugee partners have proved very popular. We only have 11 adult face coverings left in the patterns pictured below. We also still have face coverings for children.
We suggest a donation of £5 for adult face coverings and £3 for children's, but please give what you like.
1. First e-mail your order and postal address to woodcraftvicky@gmail.com
2. Next, transfer your donation directly to Herts Welcomes Refugees
Sort code 20 03 18
Account number 43149080
Please label your donation ‘masks'
We suggest a donation of £5 for adult face coverings and £3 for children's, but please give what you like.
1. First e-mail your order and postal address to woodcraftvicky@gmail.com
2. Next, transfer your donation directly to Herts Welcomes Refugees
Sort code 20 03 18
Account number 43149080
Please label your donation ‘masks'
Adult Face Coverings
Children's Face Coverings
A refugee partner, who is an excellent tailor, made some double-layer face coverings for us to give to supporters in exchange for a donation to our charity.
We suggest a donation of £5 per mask but please give what you like.
1. First e-mail your order and postal address to woodcraftvicky@gmail.com
2. Next, transfer your donation directly to Herts Welcomes Refugees
Sort code 20 03 18
Account number 43149080
Please label your donation ‘masks'
We suggest a donation of £5 per mask but please give what you like.
1. First e-mail your order and postal address to woodcraftvicky@gmail.com
2. Next, transfer your donation directly to Herts Welcomes Refugees
Sort code 20 03 18
Account number 43149080
Please label your donation ‘masks'
