Socialising with Syrians

Today was one of our monthly social events where we provide a space for the refugee families we support to catch up, share problems and network. Many of the volunteers also attend, so we can listen to the refugees' concerns directly and talk amongst each other. With such a ragtag bunch of volunteers, making progress on email and Whatsapp around our day jobs is not always the simplest.

Depending on where the council has homes available, the families can feel quite isolated. One new family is in fenland Ely and have said they feel cut off. That's hardly surprising as I felt removed enough when I lived there, without the added challenges of virtually no English and a catalogue of traumatic events to process.

The events are organised superbly by one of the group members, Maggie. She is a Quaker and they very generously let us use their meeting house even though they know we pack it to the rafters and later have to wipe tabbouleh from the windows and pluck toys from the flowerbeds.

It's incredibly humbling to be in a room with people who have overcome so much but face their new lives in the UK with energy and positivity. I am appreciative of the added perspective days like this bring.