Nearly 100 people, many of them asylum seekers and refugees, filled Christ Church Lye in early February to celebrate the first anniversary of Blossom, a project of Welcome Group Halesowen.
Blossom welcomes women who are refugees into a space where they can relax and speak with other women, receiving emotional and practical support as they navigate life in their new host country.
Sessions at Blossom involve role playing situations that the women will now find themselves in within the UK, giving them courage, encouragement, and a chance to practise their English language skills, along with confidence-building activities such as exercise, baking and crafts. Many of them come from very traditional societies, where women have few opportunities, so adapting to the UK is a major leap.
As well as the refugee families in attendance, the church was delighted to also welcome the Mayor and Mayoress of Dudley, who offered words of welcome to the refugees and spoke of the need to create a compassionate society. They were accompanied by other local councillors and a representative from the Air Training Cadets.
Leading the celebration was project lead Sian Leaves, and speaking alongside the mayor were the leader of Welcome Group Halesowen, Andrew Harwood, and vicar of Christ Church, Glen Ruffle.
Sian commented:
“Our dream with Blossom was to see the ladies in a safe women’s group, focused on friendship and wellbeing, so that they themselves would blossom”
The celebration event included stories from refugees and volunteers, as well as a delicious meal. Children were entertained by face painting, a game of giant Tetris, and cartoons.
Andrew Harwood said:
“We want to welcome asylum seekers, refugees and migrants to Dudley Borough, helping them to integrate and belong within our communities.”
He spoke of four ‘S’s; the first is Safety – a safe place where the ladies can freely be themselves; the second is Sanctuary – a place of peace and relaxation; the third is Security – a place of protection, where no one need feel afraid; and the fourth is Special – each lady who comes is a unique person, loved by God and someone we care about.
Glen added:
“It is wonderful that we can host Blossom, and I can only imagine the horrors these women have lived through, fleeing war, famine, and climate destruction. We serve them because we worship Jesus, himself a refugee, who calls us to love all people, and who gave his life to redeem this broken world.”
