Monday 9th September
Report written by Anji Andrews (she/her)
Tonight was our first session from the brilliant One Strawberry Lane base, and I think the group that came along were impressed! This central base is easy to find, comfy and cool and we think in the coming winter months will be a cosy place to catch up before our group sessions.
A small jog and walk up the road and we were welcomed by our task owner at WERS (west end refugee service) a charity doing amazing things to support the refugee community in our city. We’ve helped WERS before but not for five years (!) yet it felt really familiar being back. A simple task was requested: to start weeding their back garden space which will in time be turned into a welcoming space for their service users to hang out, chat and do some gardening of their own.
Small tasks like these are often where we can quickly make the biggest impact and in just half an hour, three bags of weeds had been removed and a huge space had opened up. The task owner was so impressed and started hatching a plan to have us back (with our floodlights!) as soon as we can. Look at those before and after photos!
A leisurely walk back together followed, but Mondays are made for high step counts and heart rates so we stopped off at St James’ Park for a step workout, much to the confusion of everyone passing by. Another perfect start to the week!
West End Refugee Service (WERS) is a registered charity that provides support and opportunities to people seeking asylum and refugees on Tyneside. We work to bring about positive change to the lives of people whose futures have been irrevocably changed by past events in their home country. Since 1999, we have delivered a range of integrated services to reduce levels of poverty, isolation, disadvantage and prejudice experienced by the people we support, as they navigate the asylum system in the UK. Our projects aim to help people regain control over their lives and rebuild a future here. We’re a team of thirteen staff and over 90 volunteers. We work with partners across the region to deliver our projects and services.
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