Features / Bristol Charity Advent Calendar 2022
Bristol Charity Advent Calendar 2022, Day 19: Bristol Refugee Rights
Bristol Refugee Rights, newly settled into its home at Wellspring Settlement, is a volunteer-led organisation with the aim of “upholding and championing” the rights of asylum seekers and refugees in Bristol.
The charity, originally created in 2006, hopes to help create “a society where refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are welcomed, feel safe, live free of poverty and are able to positively build their lives. A society where everyone’s rights and entitlements are respected.”
Bristol Refugee Rights promote wellbeing and trauma-informed approaches to their work, offering specialist tailored advice for common issues such as housing and healthcare, accessing education, advice on finance and support to navigate the asylum claims procedure.
is needed now More than ever
They also partner with several other organisations across Bristol, including but not limited to: Bristol Refugee and Asylum Seeker Partnership (BRASP), University of Bristol, Golden Key and Bristol Bike Project as outlined in their newly released Strategic Plan for 2022-2027.
These partnerships allow them to extend their reach as far as possible within the Bristol communities so nobody is missed out or left unseen.
Developments due to Covid-19 have seen the centre expand its services to online and over the phone as well as in-person. In the last two years, the number of people seeking help at Bristol Refugee Rights has tripled – last year alone, the charity saw over 1,000 people from over 56 countries. They estimate that around 1,5000 people are seeking asylum in Bristol at any one time.
One user of the vital services has said “I can chat to people and make friends and use the crèche because as a single mother it’s hard for me to get time to drink coffee or have any time to study.”
BRR recently ran a campaign to raise £12,000 to continue their essential services in a sustainable way, reaching the target within the last 24 hours of the campaign.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ClUHzUHoxa1/
Speaking about the campaign, a spokesperson at Bristol Refugee Rights said: ” We were very fortunate that a donor left a gift in her will to us and we were able to put this towards the campaign – we’d like to say a special thank you to the late Anne Scott and her family for this wonderful legacy, which gave us a massive boost to the campaign and will help transform the lives of many people seeking sanctuary in our city”.
People can donate and support Bristol Refugee Rights in several ways:
- Donate to their baby bank https://www.babybanknetwork.com/donations/
- Book a restaurant through Charitable Bookings, which allows you to donate £1 per head in your booking to benefit Bristol Refugee Rights
A list of other ways to support can be found here.
Do you know of a charity that is doing incredible work within Bristol and would benefit from the support provided by the Bristol24/7 members? If so, email partnerships@bristol247.com to vote for our 2023 charity partner or click here to find out more.
Main photo: Bristol Refugee Rights
Read next:
- Nominations for Bristol24/7 2023 charity partner now open
- Supporting LGBTQ+ refugees through the coronavirus
- Fareshare launches Employability Programme for young people
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