We need your help so we can continue to support refugees in Evesham. We rely heavily on fundraising events to run our programmes and COVID-19 has meant our income has been severely reduced. To see the transformation from frightened and traumatised 'strangers' to confident and happy 'friends' is truly wonderful. These families arrive having been through years of appalling loss and trauma. Having gone through all that, they have they then arrive in a country where everything is strange. They don't understand the language and it is not even in the same alphabet. The food, customs and culture are all very different and whereas they are safe they feel very isolated and need huge amounts of support to start to become independent. Please help us - every little will go directly towards supporting refugee families to integrate into our society.

What we'll deliver:

• Widen the support of present refugees
• Recruit further volunteers (advertise)
• Be ready to welcome and support all new arrivals

Why it's a great idea:

By helping people settle into their new community we enable them to become independent and become full members of our society. In the long run, apart from humanitarian aspects, this saves them needing benefits and state funding. Our 'Dads' are so keen to work. They want to be self-supporting. They need to speak better English first though.

Steps to get it done:

• recruit at least 5 volunteers who are able to give sufficient time to support the families as required.

One of our families has a 4-year-old who became profoundly deaf due to contracting meningitis in the Lebanese refugee camp where swift treatment was not available. We have been able to take him and his parents to Birmingham children's hospital where they are investigating a cochlea implant. Several family members have health issues and all of them needed eye tests and dental care. Omar, 10 has new glasses and is now thriving at school. We have been unable to find a school or college course suitable for Amira (16). She is desperate to learn and feels so bored at home. We hope she will start in September a course at Worcester leading up to a nurses training course. She will need help with her travel costs. Meanwhile we have arranged more English teaching through our group and found some voluntary work for her for experience. (before the lockdown).