Restore (a project of Birmingham Churches Together, of which Quakers are a member) seeks to welcome and offer friendship to refugees and asylum seekers in Birmingham. Several Quakers in Central England are volunteer befrienders, and at this time offering welcome and support feels more important than ever. Restore have recently appointed a new Befriending Coordinator, Jasmine Cullen, and are offering training for people interested in finding out more.

Jasmine has shared an article reflecting on what motivates her to support refugees and on why Christians and churches (including Quakers) should also welcome refugees. 

In Birmingham, I believe we are in a unique position to offer welcome and support. Birmingham is home to both asylum seekers and refugees from a wide variety of locations, including Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and Ukraine. During this initial period in the UK, it is common for people to suffer from poor mental health and feelings of isolation as they struggle to settle into a country which may be very different from their own. At Restore, we aim to alleviate these issues by pairing asylum seekers and refugees with a local person in a process known as befriending. These incredible volunteers can help by providing friendship and time to practice English, as well as information on relevant services or volunteering opportunities.

Read more on the Birmingham Churches Together website.

Restore are running three sessions to help people find our more about refugee issues or how you can volunteer with Restore to fight social isolation. The sessions will take place on Tuesdays 11th, 18th and 25th June 2024. Joining the training does not commit you to volunteering.

Sign up for the training sessions.