Introduction
Refugees Welcome is a volunteer-led charity that helps refugees resettle and rebuild their lives. They help refugees or evacuees resettled in Cheshire East and people who arrived through Family Reunion or Community Sponsorship.
CVSCE is proud to play a small part in supporting this work by providing hands-on volunteer recruitment and deployment support through our dedicated Volunteer Support Worker, Estelle Worthington.
There are a few simple ways you can support Refugees Welcome:
Become a Volunteer
We are currently looking for kind-hearted people to join us in the following meaningful ways:
- English Practice Volunteers - offering conversation, encouragement and confidence
- Furniture Service Volunteers - helping on deliveries, helping organise the items in our stores, helping us turn empty houses into real homes
You don’t need anything extraordinary, just a little time, a kind heart, and a willingness to stand alongside someone starting again.
For an informal chat, please contact our Volunteer Support Worker:
Estelle.Worthington@cvsce.org.uk
Support our work with a donation
Even a small donation can make a meaningful difference. Donate - simple, secure, and helping us support families as they begin again. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps bring warmth and stability to someone’s new chapter.
Donate Household Items
If you have items you no longer need, but are in good condition, they may be exactly what someone else is hoping for. From kitchen essentials to bedding. Send us a message and we’ll share what is currently most needed: refugeescheshireeast@gmail.com
Help Refugees Welcome Be Visible and Amplify the Message of Welcome to Refugees
Sharing our posts and stories helps us reach those who may need support - and those who may be able to offer it. It also helps us strengthen and showcase the local culture of welcome that exists towards refugees. Visibility isn’t about numbers, it’s about connection. And connection can change lives.
Email: refugeescheshireeast@gmail.com
Website: www.refugeeswelcome.co.uk
Social media: Instagram | Facebook
For Volunteers or Supporters:
- Visit our website to learn more: www.refugeeswelcome.co.uk
- To volunteer or support us, please email Estelle Worthington: estelle.worthington@cvsce.org.uk
For Refugees:
- If you already have a Family Support Volunteer, contact them first.
- New to Refugees Welcome? Email us at: refugeescheshireeast@gmail.com or you can come to our Café space on the first Saturday of each month, 10-11.15am in Macclesfield (please contact us for more details)
- Need to contact the Chair or Trustee? Use the same email.
For Agencies or Services:
- If you are referring or discussing a refugee client, email: refugeescheshireeast@gmail.com
Refugees Welcome was first established in 2015 when the Syrian war was at its height. The local community came together to prepare for the arrival of vulnerable families under the VPRS (Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme). Since then, they have welcomed Afghan refugees and evacuees from Ukraine, as well as refugee families from a number of other countries.
Refugees Welcome aims to help refugees live independently and be part of our community, along the way unlocking the valuable skills and ideas refugees bring.
When refugee families arrive in the UK, they are looking not only for safety, but for a place to belong. Refugee Welcome’s mission is to make sure they feel truly at home: to find friends, to study and work, to share their culture and skills, to become part of society, and share their gifts in building our country’s future.
Volunteers have a vital role to play in not only welcoming new arrivals, but helping them feel safe and empowering them to grow in confidence and independence. The volunteers who have built and sustained Refugees Welcome over the last ten years show what a powerful culture of welcome exists locally.
Refugees Welcome currently has 50+ volunteers primarily doing three roles – Family Support Volunteer, English Practice Volunteer, Task Volunteer. Every month, these volunteers give between 350 - 400 hours of their time. Over the course of the year, this amounts to over 5,000 hours.
Refugees Welcome helps refugees to:
- Learn English.
- Register for health, housing, school, and library services.
- Understand letters and bills.
- Go with them to appointments.
- Help new arrivals explore their local town, find shops, and join activities.
- Sometimes provide furniture or equipment.
- Connect them with other helpful services.
Refugees Welcome works closely with many local organisations and statutory agencies to support refugees to find their feet and become part of the local community.
CVSCE supports Refugees Welcome to:
- Recruit, induct and train new volunteers.
- Co-ordinate and deploy volunteer support as needed.
- Provide hands-on support to refugee families and individuals who need a little extra help to access to services they need.
"We are a group of volunteers from different backgrounds and have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to work with refugees from a variety of nations, including people from Ukraine, Syria, Hong Kong, Morocco and Iran.
In the English classes we have covered a wide variety of interesting topics and enjoyed a number of visits to local places of interest and importance. The aim of the visits has been to develop language skills and enable integration in the wider community." - English Practice Volunteer
