'A wonderful example of community spirit' – how St Helens marked refugee week

National Refugee week launched with a local tribute to the campaign’s theme for this year – ‘We Cannot Walk Alone’.

Local leaders and Resettlement Service officers, asylum seekers and refugees living in the borough, together with the local charity Our Warm Welcome, which supports them, gathered at St Helens Town Hall.

They set the first of a series of painted footprints around the town centre, signifying the journeys resettled people have made.

Footstep symbols were painted in St Helens town centre

Two friendly football matches also followed, with men’s and women’s teams assembled from the refugee community playing with and against local ward councillors, hosted by local clubs.

A women's football match was part of the week's events

A range of crafts, classes and reading sessions were also held at local children’s centres all week, while Café Laziz, the community café, hosted events at The Hope Centre, teaching visitors how to make tabbouleh and through casual conversation learned about different cultures over cups of Arabic tea and coffee with locally settled refugees.

Schools also joined in too, with a variety of online dance and creative writing workshops.

A digital arts project called ‘Here’ led by St Helens Arts Service and the council’s Cultured programme saw artist Emmer Winder explain the project and help the group to create some artwork for inclusion in the final exhibition in October.

One refugee's story

Haydock resident Hussien is an Iraqi refugee who was placed in St Helens through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement programme in December 2017.

He said: “My neighbour is an excellent man, with a beautiful and kind family.

"As soon as I arrived in St Helens, he helped me with many things like going to the supermarket or to the GP when my children are sick.

"He helped me to understand British culture and he has taught my wife and children as well.

“His family help us with many things just like an extended family member would.

"We love to share meals where we taste English food and their family would taste Iraqi food, we are always visiting each other, we have an excellent relationship and they have made us feel welcome.”

Ministerial visit

The week also involved a visit from Minister for Future Borders and Immigration Kevin Foster MP to acknowledge the work in St Helens with Asylum Seekers and refugees.

During the visit, Cllr Jeanie Bell, cabinet member for safer, stronger communities, expressed the need for Additional English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as an Additional Language (EAL) funding is provided so that English language sessions are accessible to all members of the refugee and asylum community.

A football match took place involving refugees and council representatives

Cllr Bell said: “We are very proud of the work being undertaken in St Helens and the support of the wider community; our borough is a compassionate and caring place that welcomes people from different cultures, we have seen this in action."

"However, the Government needs to commit to improving access to educational courses to ensure our refugee and asylum community have the opportunity to gain education and employment without language barriers that can make this difficult.”

Meanwhile, Conor Mcginn, the MP for St Helens North praised the fantastic work taking place in St Helens".

He said: “I’m very proud of the way in which our community has welcomed those fleeing war and persecution, and how through initiatives like Our Warm Welcome and Café Laziz those who have become part of our community are making a positive contribution to it.

“I hope that after his visit, the Minister will however understand that we need both coherent policy and adequate resources to continue the successes we’ve had in St Helens, and to try and address some of the Government’s failings nationally.”

What the minister said:

Speaking at the event, minister for future borders and immigration Kevin Foster said: “Welcoming refugees to the UK through safe and legal routes is a vital pillar of our New Plan for Immigration.

"By providing safe routes, in combination with measures to lessen the incentive to arrive in the UK illegally, the New Plan will break the business model of people smugglers and keep people from risking their lives crossing the Channel in small, unseaworthy boats.

“We’ve already resettled more than 25,000 people since 2015, the highest number in Europe, and a good number of whom have made a success of resettling here in St Helens.

Council leader David Baines joined in the men's football match

“We’re continuing to welcome people every week through the new UK Resettlement Scheme, building on this achievement and ensuring there is the support in place to help refugees integrate within their local communities.

“St Helens is a wonderful example of this community spirit and it’s exactly the kind of thing we want to see more of.

"I’d encourage everyone to get involved with this week’s events, learn more about resettlement in the St Helens area and perhaps even give some time to some of the projects being showcased.”