The Welcome to All programme continues to provide vital support for refugees, asylum seekers and other displaced people across Somerset. In Bridgwater and West Somerset alone, around 217 people use the service each month. The team also supports around 54 people each week, with many people returning for help more than once as they settle into their new lives.
Through a network of community hubs, Welcome to All offers financial and practical advice, ESOL, learning and wellbeing support, and opportunities to connect through community activities, coffee and conversation. The programme helps people settle into their local communities, build confidence and develop new friendships.
During Refugee Week this June, Welcome to All Hubs across Somerset marked this year’s theme, Courage, with a variety of activities celebrating community, creativity and connection. People came together for arts and crafts sessions, cultural food-sharing events, wellbeing activities, exhibitions and community walks. These events provided opportunities for people from different backgrounds to share experiences, learn from one another and celebrate the valuable contributions that refugees and displaced people make to communities across Somerset.
The week highlighted the power of bringing people together through shared experiences and demonstrated how Welcome to All Hubs continue to create welcoming, inclusive spaces where everyone can feel supported and valued.
bridgwater welcome hub feedback:
You made me secure! You made me feel at home – you are the best thing that ever happened to me! If it were not for you. How would I survive?”