Blog Posts - HERTS WELCOMES REFUGEES

face coverings for HWR

12/8/2020

One of our refugee partners, who is an excellent tailor, has made some double-layer face coverings that he's given us to benefit our charity as he just wants ‘to give something back.’

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'

Bags of Love

8/8/2020

In July a supporter got in touch with a unique offer. For her daughter’s sixth birthday she wanted to do something for our refugee partners’ children. Soon, Renu and her two daughters were putting together fourteen very special gift bags for the children living in her area.

Renu explained that she’d always intended to be more directly involved with our charity, having learned about it through her friend, a volunteer. Previously, Renu had made online donations, but her daughter’s birthday seemed like the perfect time to do something more. With a list of the children’s ages and genders, Renu was soon purchasing calculators and word search puzzles, cake decoration kits and crafts.

Renu described how her daughters decorated the bags with drawings and inspirational quotes. “They were so happy to do it,” she said. “They really enjoyed it.”

The enjoyment was a two-way street, as the children who received the bags were also delighted by the unexpected presents and treats.

Heroes of Hertfordshire

19/7/2020

We are so honoured to be recognised as a Hero of Hertfordshire.

AGM 2020

8/7/2020

On 23 June, forty members gathered on Zoom for our fourth Annual General Meeting.

Our patron, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Robert Voss CBE, began by expressing his gratitude to the UK for taking in his parents when they were refugees. He stated that Hertfordshire’s diversity is its strength, noting the enormous amount of culture that refugees bring into this country. Voss, praising our charity’s continuing efforts throughout the Covid-19 crisis, stated: “The work, effort and engagement of Herts Welcomes Refugees is absolutely vital. Never more than at this time.”

Herts Welcomes Refugees’ chair, Irene Austin, thanked the volunteers for their continuing work and support, stating that they are the core of our organisation. “This epidemic when it hit came as such a shock,” she said, “but we considered how to keep engaging and responding to [refugee] needs.” Throughout the lockdown volunteers have been working with the families using Zoom, WhatsApp, e-mail, and old fashioned letters. Irene also added that HWR has become more involved in helping children, organising support for young people with their schoolwork.

Treasurer Mick Hayter announced that we have used the money raised from our Laptop Appeal to provide thirty-six Chromebooks to families with schoolchildren. An Ocado Foundation grant has been used as a hardship fund for families affected by Covid-19 and will be used for other emerging needs.

Looking to the future, Herts Welcomes Refugees will be starting an IT project to help families to become more confident with different technologies. One member asked about the psychological impact of Covid-19 on families, and Irene explained that families would hopefully soon have access to therapists through a new project working across the East of England. She noted that, crucially, ongoing contact between our volunteer befrienders and the families has helped to reduce some of the strain of worrying.

bike scheme Update

21/6/2020

Since November 2019, when Chris Rigby joined HWR to run our bike scheme, he’s delivered sixteen bikes to refugees and asylum seekers across Hertfordshire. Chris does everything from pumping and repairing tires to making sure that the recipients know how to change gears. At times, he’s struggled with garage space, keeping up to twenty bikes at once.

Chris, who is a cycling enthusiast and also volunteers with Sustrans, collects the bikes donated by our supporters and makes sure that they’re road-worthy before delivering them to refugees who need them. These bikes can be crucial, particularly for young people who live in isolated locations. Chris described a group of unaccompanied minors living in a remote youth hostel who are now able to ride to the shops or go out on excursions. “They can now all go out together,” Chris said. “Everybody’s been very grateful and welcoming.”

Chris is keen to teach interested refugees some basic bike skills, from fixing a tire to repairing brakes. He will attend a bike repair training session at the end of this month and plans to use his new knowledge to improve the donated bikes as well as to teach others new skills.

We're currently in need of men's bikes, so if you have one to donate please do get in touch chris.s.rigby@outlook.com

AGM on Zoom

12/6/2020

Our annual general meeting will be held on Tuesday 23 June.

This meeting will be for Herts Welcomes Refugees members only as it will be conducted remotely using Zoom. We look forward to sharing the outcome of our AGM on the website following this meeting.

Men's Bikes needed

29/5/2020

We're trying to help a group of six young asylum seekers in Stevenage by providing them with bikes.

Please contact chris.s.rigby@outlook.com if you're able to donate a bike suitable for a sixteen or seventeen year old male. We are able to pick up the donation.

Volunteer Treasurer Needed

23/5/2020

Herts Welcomes Refugees are looking to recruit a new volunteer treasurer to replace Mick Hayter who has done an excellent job in the last few years. This person does not have to be an accountant but does need to be numerate, good with IT and caring about refugees. The role description for this post is below. Please do pass this on to anyone you feel might be interested. If you or anyone else is interested in finding out more and would like an initial chat about the post, please email Irene Austin at Chair@hwsf.org.uk

HERTS WELCOMES REFUGEES
ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TREASURER

GENERAL

The treasurer needs to be sympathetic to the aims of HWR and the on-going plight of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and internationally. This is a voluntary role.
The treasurer doesn’t need to be an accountant only numerate and conversant with Excel, Word etc.
HWR don’t currently use a Software accounts package e.g. Sage although this needs to be re-considered. At present HWR use Excel with linked spreadsheets.
The treasurer needs to present to the meetings of the Trustees and Management Committee accounts in sufficient detail for them to appreciate the current financial position of HWR. This is usually done on a monthly basis or as required.
The Management Committee has a monthly daytime meeting, usually Thursday morning, and we would like the treasurer to be present.
We would like the treasurer to be a Trustee.

SPECIFIC

To bank all donations made to HWR and, where appropriate, send an acknowledgement/letter of thanks to the donors.
To pay all invoices and other payments approved by the Trustees, Management Committee or Area Convenors in a timely manner.
To prepare monthly accounts to be presented at the Management Committee meetings.
To prepare Annual Accounts and have them Examined by an Independent Person approved by the Trustees.

TIME COMMITMENT

Everyone will deal with the job differently although I prefer to spend an hour or so most days rather than allow matters to pile up.
M J Hayter
Trustee & Treasurer

For more information please email chair@hwsf.org.uk

Volunteering during the lockdown

3/4/2020

Huge thanks to our wonderful volunteers who are finding new ways to support refugees in Hertfordshire during this time of social distancing. Twenty-seven of our volunteers attended a Zoom meeting on Wednesday to discuss how to help and reassure the refugees with whom they’ve been working.

Our volunteers are visiting the families electronically, helping children with online schoolwork, and keeping in regular contact by phone to offer words of comfort and support. Some volunteers have shopped for families in isolation and others are working to ensure that school food vouchers are received. Whether families need assistance navigating online shopping or prescription services our volunteers are there to guide them.

We’re making sure that the new Chromebooks are delivered to the families that need them most. With schoolwork and assignments now entirely online, these laptops are absolutely essential for school children - not to mention for the rest of the family.

It’s an incredibly challenging and stressful time for everyone, but we’re getting through it together. And with the help of video conferencing, we’re remaining connected!

arabic translation of covid 19 advice from the gov't

31/3/2020

الإرشادات الثلاثة الجديدة الصادرة عن الحكومة بتاريخ ٢٣ مارس

١- يجب البقاء في البيت وعدم الخروج الا في حالات خاصة
٢- إغلاق العديد من المحلات الغير ضرورية
٣- منع التجمعات المتكونة من اكثر من شخصين في الأماكن العمومية

يجب على كل مواطن الالتزام بهذه التعليمات. السلطات المحلية والشرطة لديهما السلطة لتفريق الجماعات وإلزام غرامات لكل من يخالف هذه التعليمات.

بداً تنفيذ هذه الإجراءات يوم ٢٣ مارس. ستنظر الحكومة في هذه الإجراءات بعد ثلاثة أسابيع وستغيرها حسب الضرورة.

البقاء في البيت

يجب البقاء في البيت وعدم الخروج الا في هذه الحلات الأربعة:

⁃ التسوق لشراء الأشياء الأساسية فقط مثل الطعام والأدوية وذلك في حالات نادرة
⁃ الخروج لممارسة الرياضة، مثل الركض أو المشي أو ركوب الدراجات، وذلك وحدك أو مع أفراد اسرتك فقط و مرة واحدة فقط في اليوم
⁃ الخروج في حالة طبية أو لمساعدة شخص ضعيف
⁃ الذهاب إلى العمل وذلك فقط عندما لا يمكن القيام بذلك على الإطلاق في البيت

هذه هي الأسباب الأربعة فقط التي يمكنك الخروج من البيت بسببها - حتى عند القيام بهذه الأنشطة، يجب قضاء اقل وقت ممكن خارج البيت والابتعاد عن أشخاص اخرين بالتزام مسافة مترين بينك و بينهم.

يجب على كل شخص ان يتتبع هذه التعليمات الجديدة. هناك تعليمات أخرى خاصة بالأسر التي قررت ان تنعزل و كذلك الأشخاص الذين هم في خطر متزايد بسبب السن أو حالاتهم الطبية ويحتاجون حماية اكثر.

The Government introduced three new measures on 23 March
1. Requiring people to stay at home, except for very limited purposes.
2. Closing non-essential shops and community spaces.
3. Stopping all gatherings of more than two people in public.
Every citizen must comply with these new measures. The relevant authorities, including the police, will be given the powers to enforce them – including through fines and dispersing gatherings.
These measures came into effect on Monday 23 March. The Government will look again at these measures after three weeks, and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.
Staying at home
You should only leave the house for one of four reasons:

shopping for basic things you really need, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible.
one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household.
any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
travelling to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home.

These are the only four reasons you can go out - even when doing these activities, you should spend as little time as possible outside of the home and make sure you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.
These measures must be followed by everyone. Separate advice is available for individuals or households who are isolating, and for the most vulnerable who need to be shielded.