Date: 20 April 2022
Our news is dominated by stories of war, injustice and disaster. Each inflicts its own misery on thousands of innocent families, who have no choice but to flee.
The response of the UK families opening to their homes to the Ukrainian refugees is heart-warming. The government have received over 55,000 applications under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. But what more can we do?
A refugee information event is taking place on Wednesday 4 May at the Season Cafe, at Guildford Cathedral starting at 7.30pm. It is for everyone wanting to know more about the refugee situation in the UK at present.
“It was an evening set up before the invasion of Ukraine,” explains Diane Peters, the Diocesan Refugee Support Adviser “We have seen people drown in the channel or die in the back of lorries and the struggle to get out of Afghanistan. Tens of thousands have been displaced from Syria, Yemen, Myanmar and now the situation in Ukraine has forced us to renew our focus on the plight of refugees.”
The evening is designed to answer the question, ‘How can the churches and their communities in Guildford Diocese help?’
A range of organisations will be sending representatives, including a member of a sponsoring family, who will speak about their first hand experience of offering refuge to an exiled family.
Following a briefing from the experts, there will be an extended question and answer session for all those attending and time for conversations with individual representatives from the ten expert organisations.
“The evening will ensure people are better informed about refugees in general,” says Diane. “But also that they know how to access support and advice and give them the knowledge to explore different avenues of support,” she says.
To book a free place for the evening click here.