In celebration of Refugee Week 2019 which took place from 17 to 23 June, Leicestershire Life Links’ Volunteer Coordinators Shannon and Dipika attended The City Of Sanctuary. The City of Sanctuary is a charity running a wide range of projects supporting refugees and asylum seekers. We attended a drop-in to facilitate an activity in line with the theme for this years Refuge Week: You, me and those who came before.
As part of their session, Shannon and Dipika screened various short films throughout the event, all of which represented the refugee journey. They also provided people with gift bags which included yummy popcorn to enjoy during the movie. Following this, they then asked attendees to share the different experiences they had encountered on their personal journeys, both positive and negative and to also think about what or who has inspired them along the way. Everyone then added their written experiences to our Sparky Banner, creating an powerful collage which illustrated the individuality of each person’s story and own experiences.
Everyone really enjoyed the activity as it helped to open up conversations, highlight positive experiences and also acknowledge the difficulties people had encountered. It was a pleasure to attend the drop-in and we are already looking forward to Refugee Week 2020!
Quotes from the College
Positive experiences
“Now I have made friends and I don’t feel as lonely”
“Mrs Sutherland when I was six years old. She taught me English!”
“I want to start working and living my life in a better way”
Negative experiences
“Fear of loneliness”
“I lived in fear of being sent back to my country because it is not safe there. This was very stressful for me.”
Inspirations
“The City of Sanctuary, British Red Cross, Festival Journey”
“God is my Inspiration, I know he cares for me from his kingdom, I have no fear!”
“God Inspires me”
