We have made it our mission to harness the power of local relationships and the goodwill of the Bath community to help refugees and asylum seekers feel welcome, access resources and find a new home and community.
BWR activities include the delivery of integrated social support; help and protection for physical, mental and financial hardship; resettlement and befriending; fundraising; tuition, particularly in relation to English language support; the finding, furnishing, and renovation of homes and gardens; the protection of data and every aspect of safeguarding; and the enhancement of the lives of those we support.
We have over 200 volunteers supporting children and adults, refugees and asylum seekers from Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine and other countries. Since 2015 we have supported over 800 people, in the last few years with support that can range from providing a few items of furniture or advice on a university application, to assisting in every aspect of resettlement, home building, job finding and negotiating the many barriers to a successful thriving life in the UK.
As a group we have no religious or political affiliations. Our reach is wide but our resources are limited. We mainly rely upon donations, goodwill, and the funds we raise locally.
We are committed to raising awareness and relieving the plight of refugees both in the city and beyond. Our ‘Beyond Bath’ team focuses on the wider refugee situation and we link with partner organisations who regularly send donations and volunteers to Calais.
Where we’ve come from
Founded in 2015 by members of the local community with a desire to welcome refugees, Bath Welcomes Refugees became a registered charity in 2017.
All our trustees, management team and countless helpers have always been volunteers. In 2021, we were delighted to take on our first part-time paid worker in a role to coordinate our many volunteers. Thanks to the huge increase in the work we undertake, we now have three part-time members of staff helping with administration, coordination and support.
In 2021 we also achieved our goal of becoming an official Community Sponsorship group.
This means we undertake the entire responsibility for a family’s initial settlement and welfare. The Community Sponsorship program will run alongside our existing work supporting the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS). We also support other planned resettlement schemes and people who have arrived in a variety of ways, including Homes for Ukraine.