When refugees first arrive in the Chichester area, our first priority is to help them feel welcome and safe. With that in mind it has been lovely to welcome lots of the new residents of the local hotel to our weekly women’s group and drop-ins, and we expect to see numbers rise as people become familiar with their surroundings and get to know us. We’re also doing what we can in providing transport to these important social events, and our volunteers are stepping up as usual to give lifts to those who can’t walk far – those with small children or who have disabilities or are unwell. We had a record-breaking 132 people at the last drop-in, and with this big increase in attendees, we need additional volunteers (apply here!) for various roles, including managing the Welcome Desk, assisting with children’s activities, helping with refreshments and transport.
We’re collaborating with the hotel’s management, West Sussex County Council, and other local groups to support the new arrivals, and are providing clothes, shoes, pushchairs and prams (so families with children can leave the hotel) and toys among other items. We’ve given SIM cards and phones to those without and the recipients have been very grateful. We’re also getting to grips with where along the process everyone’s asylum applications have got to so we can advise them on what to expect next and support them in communicating with the Home Office. We hope to soon have news of hairdressers who got in touch with us to generously volunteer to cut hotel residents’ hair – we’re just waiting for their DBS checks to come through.
We have been inundated with kind offers of donations and support – a big thank you to everyone who has donated or got in touch! We are especially grateful to the Rotary Club for their help in sourcing and providing the items needed. We’re also grateful to My Sister’s House, including for accommodating a large number of women at their recent free clothing pop-up. If you would like to help and you are able to give us your time, please apply to become a volunteer. If you have good condition clothing, shoes or toys to donate, please take them to the new My Sister’s House, 44 Bognor Road, Chichester PO19 7TG. If you would like to donate funds, every pound makes a real difference, especially as our staffing costs are paid for through grants, which we are extremely grateful for, so all other donations go directly to those we support.
A big thank you to all our volunteers working with hotel residents and at the women’s group and drop-in!
Photo by Julia M Cameron: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-sorting-donations-6994963/