Thank you to our volunteers

Volunteer Week is our opportunity to thank you for all that you do to support refugees and those displaced from their home country by reason of war, persecution, oppression, discrimination, or natural disaster. You demonstrate that there are people ready to help. It is a gift beyond price.

Since we began in 2015, Bath Welcomes Refugees has supported over 800 people from Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and now Hong Kong and a number of other places. It involves 243 active volunteers like you who provide English language support across four centres in Bath and North East Somerset, resettlement help for the refugee families we support directly with everything from medical appointments to driving tests or routes to employment, or social events so that the different groups can meet and share their stories and feel less isolated.

What you all do is much appreciated whether you’re a teacher, a resettlement volunteer, a gardener, or decorator or team leader. It does not go unnoticed by those you work with. As one refugee put it: 

“Our teachers have big hearts and patience to spend a lot of hours with us and our children.” While another wrote: “The dedication of the team and the welcoming atmosphere they create have truly made a profound impact on my journey towards integration. Thank you for being a lifeline and for making us feel valued and supported every step of the way.”

So, thank you, on behalf of the Trustee Board and the Management Committee (all volunteers, too!), we are so grateful for your support.

With warmest wishes and thanks,

Stephen Whittle

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Volunteer week

Student musical raising money for BWR

microphone and stage lights

The Bath University Student Musicals Society is staging its fabulous musical revue show Encore 2024 from 2 May until Saturday 4 May at the Edge Theatre at the University of Bath’s Claverton Down site.

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.

Tickets bookings are here: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/59367

Photography competition – keep an eye out for the winners

We’re helping to promote a photography competition for Freedom From Torture (www.freedomphotocompetition.co.uk) – keep a look out for the winners of this who will be seen in Bath’s 44AD art space from 14-16 June. 

The deadline to enter the competition was extended to Sunday 28 April.

As the organisers say: “Everyone should be able to live in freedom. Yet today there are 110 million people forcibly displaced worldwide. Each person, with their own hopes, fears and dreams, has been forced to flee from violence, conflict and persecution, leaving their homes, communities or countries behind. 

“We’re inviting you to explore the word ‘freedom’ by taking part in this open photography competition to fundraise for Freedom from Torture, a charity which supports refugee survivors of torture in the UK.”

A selection of the photographs will be made for exhibition and a winner in each age group and a number of runner-ups will be decided by a professional jury made up of eminent photographers Kolbassia Haoussou MBE, Aisha Olamide Seriki and director of Panos Pictures Adrian Evans. Winners in each category will be awarded prize money and a longlist of entries will be published in our digital gallery. 

The photos will be displayed at the following prestigious galleries:
The Velorose Gallery (London): 17th-29th June 2024
The Glasgow Gallery of Photography (Glasgow): 17th-23rd June 2024
44AD artspace (Bath): 14th-16th June 2024

Boutique sale to raise funds – Thurs 2 May

A fantastic BWR pre-loved Boutique Sale is on next Thursday, 2nd May in Combe Down. Please come along, find a fashionable bargain and contribute to a fantastic cause!

Volunteers needed for Off The Record

Off the Record Bath and North East Somerset is running a volunteer independent visitor service and is looking for long term befrienders to children/young people aged 5-18 looked after in foster care.  

Each volunteer is matched with one young person and takes them out for an activity once a month. 

All applicants welcome. Visit https://www.offtherecord-banes.co.uk/volunteer for more information.

Off the Record Bath and North East Somerset (OTR) improves the emotional health and wellbeing of young people. OTR provides a range of free services for anyone aged 10-25 living, working or studying in BaNES, including counselling, listening support, youth participation, advocacy, support for care leavers and a LGBTQ+ focused youth group.

Busy in the background

BWR has been working away with plans for a new logo and website to better reflect the work we do and the people we support. We look forward to unveiling this later in the year.

We’re so very grateful to the kind people helping us with design and inspiration and content and all the techie stuff that’s going to make this possible.

Right now, we’d particularly like to thank Darius Jéan, who invited the team to his Bath studio for professional headshots for our new website.

Darius, who is a photographer and filmmaker specialising in weddings and events, says: “I search for joy. I capture moments that are for the most part unposed to document the story: not create it.”

We love this example of his beautiful work, below. For more information and to see more of his photography visit www.dariusjean.co.uk.

Charlotte MacDiarmid steps down from trustee board

Charlotte MacDiarmid stepped down from the trustee board and her role as chair at the end of March. Charlotte joined BWR as a trustee in late 2019 and we thank her for the huge part she has played in those four years.

She had this message for BWR colleagues: “I have loved being part of such a wonderful and dynamic local charity. Its been quite a journey and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together. Its been a pleasure to work alongside such a dedicated and compassionate bunch of people – you are all amazing! I’m constantly inspired at the lengths BWR volunteers and staff go to to make sure refugees and asylum seekers in Bath feel welcome, feel supported, and have a chance at a better life here. Its a very positive antidote to the sometimes toxic discourse at national level.”

“I’m confident I’m leaving the trustee board in a good place. In the past year we have recruited new trustees who bring new experience, skills and expertise to the board.

“I wish BWR every success going forward and I will continue to support from the sidelines. Together we can all continue to make Bath and the surrounding area a warm and welcoming place for those who have been forced to flee their homelands.”

BWR Jumble Sale – Sat 2nd March

The fantastic BWR Jumble Sale is on again this Saturday 2nd March. Please come along, find a bargain and contribute to a fantastic cause!

Trustee job advert


This is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers living in Bath. The charity is at an exciting stage of its development. If you are passionate about welcoming people seeking safety in the UK and have lived experience as a refugee or asylum seeker or experience in fundraising, comms, legal or charity governance and management, we’d love to hear from you!

We are looking to recruit two Trustees with the skills, experience, energy, and time to commit to our vital work. 

We welcome applications from people with characteristics that are often underrepresented on charity boards, including disabled people, women, people of colour, those who identify as LGBTQ+, and young people.

What will you be doing?

Our Trustee Board is responsible for the governance of Bath Welcomes Refugees. The Board does not directly manage the day-to-day work, but provides oversight, shapes organisational strategy and supports our staff and volunteers. We are more hands-on than most charity boards. 

Please see the attached role descriptions for full details. 

Specific activities include monthly trustee meetings, biannual meetings with the Management Committee, the Annual General Meeting, and ad hoc attendance at fundraising/promotional events. As a small charity, there will be times when the trustees will need to be actively involved beyond Board meetings. 

What difference will you make?

Bath Welcomes Refugees is a small, dynamic local organisation that continues to grow and develop. In the past two years, the scope and volume of our work has expanded considerably, and we have taken on our first paid staff members. The new trustee(s) will support us to ensure we have a strong strategy and robust governance to consolidate our growth and meet our mission. 

Trustees will bring crucial insights and guidance from their own backgrounds, as we continue to refine our strategy, strengthen our structure and fundraising, and manage risk. This is your opportunity to be part of a respectful, inclusive, friendly team and make a difference in the lives of people living in your local area.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for people willing to bring energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to the role, and who will broaden the diversity of experience and thinking on our board. 

Please see the attached role descriptions for full details.

We are particularly looking for people with experience in the following:

  • Legal background within non-profit sector
  • Experience of the UK charity sector, especially management and/or governance
  • Fundraising
  • Communications, public relations, and social media
  • IT and data security
  • Experience or knowledge of refugee resettlement and issues facing refugees and asylum seekers
  • Lived experience as a refugee or asylum seeker

What we can offer you

  • Experience of strategy and leadership in the charity sector, supporting your professional development and boosting your CV
  • The opportunity to be part of a friendly passionate team, applying your unique skills and experience while learning from others
  • Access to training on charity governance, safeguarding, refugee welfare and rights, and other relevant topics
  • Reimbursement of reasonable expenses

How to apply

Please send your CV with a one-page covering letter to [email protected] by Friday November 24th, 2023. We aim to hold interviews in the week commencing 4th December.

We welcome applications from people with characteristics that are often underrepresented on charity boards, including disabled people, women, people of colour, those who identify as LGBTQ+, and young people.

If you are passionate about welcoming refugees and asylum seekers and want to be involved in growing a small charity, we welcome your application. If you don’t meet the above criteria, but still want to be a trustee or get involved in another capacity, we would still love to hear from you. 

For an informal chat about the roles, please get in touch with our Chair of Trustees, Charlotte MacDiarmid,  [email protected].

Click here to find out more about the role

BWR Syrian Feast & Auction!

We’re pleased to invite you to join us on Saturday, 14 October for a fantastic Syrian Feast and Auction!
A night of delicious and authentic Syrian food cooked by local chefs, plus an auction and raffle of great items donated by local businesses (see Auction List below).
Find more details on the attached flyer and Buy your Tickets on Eventbrite 

IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO BE AT THE AUCTION BUT WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT
BWR AND MAKE A BID FOR ANY OF THE ITEMS ABOVE YOU MAY DO SO BY
SUBMITTING AN ONLINE BID:

Please email: [email protected]

By NOON on Friday 13th October 2023

You will be notified on 15th October if yours is the successful bid.

Include:

  • your name and contact phone number
  • The lot number and description
  • Your maximum bid value £