For more details on the event in Combe Down, see the poster below, and see some photos below that for a behind-the-scenes peek of a similar sale in May.
Here’s a few shots from our pre-loved boutique sale that happened in May. A very stylish and fun fundraiser for Bath Welcomes Refugees!
Creche helpers wanted
Posted on 5 September, 2024
Our language classes run a city centre creche to help provide an opportunity for those with childcare needs to access lessons.
The creche is a fun place (see photos below) in the centre of Bath takes place over two hours one lunchtime a week.
BWR needs a few more volunteers – no qualifications needed, just a little spare time and kindness. As with all our volunteers, we carry out DBS checks and provide an induction and safeguarding training for you.
Calling all bargain hunters – here’s a date for your diary, Saturday 21 September – it’s the BWR jumble sale.
The sale will be between 10.30am and 12.30pm at St Andrew’s Community Centre (Previously Foxhill Community Centre) in Combe Down, on Hawthorn Grove, Bath BA2 5QA.
For more info or to donate items, please contact Amanda on 07805459760.
Bath Art Fair organiser Alce Harfield to help raise money for Bath Welcomes Refugees
Posted on 23 August, 2024
“Amidst the world’s troubles, worries and pain, there is still, and there will always be, hope, love and positivity.”
This is the message Somerset artist Alce Harfield wants to keep highlighting, and as part of her commitment to this belief, the Bath Art Fair organiser is donating one of her iconic Glastonbury paintings to help raise money for Bath Welcomes Refugees via a crowdfunder prize draw.
The artist, who also is the organiser of the Bath Art Fair which is being held at Bath Pavilion between Friday 13th and Sunday 15th September, has donated a brand new and original painting to help raise funds for Bath Welcomes Refugees.
The prize is an original acrylic painting on canvas (30” x 30”) is of the legendary Elton John performing his song ‘Rocket Man’ in 2023 on the Pyramid stage. Said to be his last ever performance, Elton chose this as his closing song as fireworks exploded around him in front of a packed-to-capacity enrapt Glastonbury crowd.
The work, entitled Rocketman, has been one of Alce’s most popular prints to date, and this is a one-off opportunity to own the actual original painting.
The prize draw can be found on the Crowdfunder website and could be won for as little as £5 per ticket, with all monies raised going to the Bath-based volunteer-led charity.
To enter the draw please visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/alce-harfield-painting-for-bath-welcomes-refugees-1 and purchase as many tickets as you’d like to be in with a chance of winning. You can also enter the draw by posting your £5 per ticket to: Alce Harfield painting for Bath Welcomes Refugees, 37 Northend, Bath BA1 7EG.
The draw closes on 8 October 2024 and the winner will be notified and will receive the original work.
Bath Art Fair this year features affordable original art direct from more than 90 artists from around the country, many of who will be there to talk about their work.
Tickets for the fair can be bought online at www.bathartfair.co.uk/tickets/ for £6 with concessions available and under 18s free. Tickets are also available on the door for £7.
BWR delighted to be part of Bath Pride
Posted on 20 August, 2024
BWR was delighted to be of part the very first Bath Pride on 18th August.
We are very aware of those who have to flee their country because of persecution for their sexuality.
This was true celebration of our community & diversity with family fun, colour and music!
Great to see so many people there and to receive such a lovely welcome from the participants.
Warm welcome for Beyond Bath talks
Posted on 12 July, 2024
BWR recently hosted the first ‘Beyond Bath Talks’, where over 25 attendees gathered at the Good Living Centre of the St John’s Foundation for an inspiring evening to reimagine the migration narrative.
In the first talk, a panel discussion was held on the theme of “Powerful stories of migration” was chaired by Andrea Dos Anjos, the Beyond Bath lead at BWR, with panellists Alexandra Chapman of Ethiopiaid; Mir Abdullah, educational researcher at University of Bath; and Kurda Yar, operations officer at BWR, who shared their perspectives on the challenges faced by migrants and refugees.
Beyond Bath Talks are a series of events designed to raise awareness of the realities beyond our borders, through authentic and inspiring stories of migrants, refugees, activists and change-makers working towards a more inclusive society. More Beyond Bath events are coming this summer and in the autumn.
The first event began with a warm welcome and introduction to BWR and the Beyond Bath initiative, with insights about BWR’s mission, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support our work through donations.
The panellists shared their perspectives on the challenges faced by migrants and refugees. Mir Abdullah shared his journey as a refugee and emphasised the importance of community support for successful integration. Alexandra Chapman highlights the issues in Ethiopia and the need for empathy and understanding. Kurda Yar shared her own journey, along with her experience working with refugees, shedding light on the realities faced by migrants in different contexts.
During the discussion, panellists addressed critical questions such as the challenges migrants face upon arrival in a new country, the significance of cultural exchange in fostering inclusion, and the actionable steps needed for individuals, organisations, and governments to create welcoming environments for migrants and refugees.
The event concluded with a Q&A session, where attendees shared personal stories, comments, and questions, enabling thought sharing with like-minded individuals.
We are very grateful to everyone who attended and contributed. Together, we are committed to building a more compassionate and welcoming society for all.
Details on more Beyond Bath Talk will be shared soon, and we look forward to offering another opportunity to engage in vital conversations on migration and inclusion. For more information about BWR and upcoming events, keep an eye on the website or follow us on social media.
Afghan feast returns in August
Posted on 5 July, 2024
The fabulous Afghan feast night is returning on Saturday 24 August.
Join us for an evening of delicious and authentic Afghan food cooked by local chefs, along with a raffle and a bar.
The feast will be held in Batheaston New Village Hall on School Lane, with doors opening at 6.30pm for dinner at 7pm.
To buy tickets, please email us, with tickets costing £25 and all proceeds going to BWR.
From the 17th of June to the 23rd is Refugee Week.
Refugee Week (refugeeweek.org.uk) is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people.
Look out on the BWR social media platforms for events happening locally and nationally, and how you can directly be a part of this positive action.
The theme for Refugee Week 2024 is ‘Our Home‘”’, from the places we gather to share meals to our collective home, planet earth – as the organisers say “home can be a place of refuge, a feeling or a state of mind”.
We’re very pleased to say that Bath Welcomes Refugees is their chosen charity and they will be holding a collection to help raise funds.
The show is set up to be a toe-tapping, spirit-lifting mix of classics West End big hitters such as Les Miserables and Sweet Charity, along with contemporary contenders including High School Musical and Seussical!
Tickets range between £5 – £13. Content Warning: There will be smoke and haze effects, and strobe lighting.
We are delighted to announce the winner of the recent fundraising raffle of an oil painting by Alce Harfield, which raised just over £1,700 to help fund the work of Bath Welcomes Refugees.
Alce donated a depiction of the Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage featuring Elton John’s farewell performance.
Sarah, pictured above with the oil painting, scooped first prize, and says, “When I got the email to say I’d won, I was so excited I had to keep re reading it to make sure it was true. It’s now hanging in my lounge, and has had lots of great comments already.
“I first went to Glastonbury in the 1980s and I loved the colours and energy in the picture.”
We wish to offer an enormous thanks to Alce for donating the beautiful painting. She told us, “As an artist specialising in painting Glastonbury Festival, a place many have been lucky enough to call ’home’ over the years, it was a natural decision to paint a special painting for those who didn’t have a ‘home’ and help raise funds for the remarkable work Bath Welcomes Refugees does.”
There will be another opportunity to win an original and exceptional Alce painting, and help raise funds for Bath Welcomes Refugees, when the Bath Art Fair returns to Bath Pavilion this September, bringing with it another BWR raffle.
