Together We Grow
Social Inclusion
We want to take refugees to meet permanent residents around the Upper Calder Valley, building friendships and understanding.
About this cause
We support refugees and asylum seekers and bring them into contact with members of the local community. We give them material support in the form of clothes, furniture, food, shoes, etc and offer them activities of their choice, like growing vegetables, trips around the Upper Calder Valley, helping out at a community orchard in Blackshaw Head, attending cultural events in Hebden Bridge. We have arranged Welcome Festivals where refugees perform for hundreds of local residents and cooking classes where refugees teach members of the community recipes from their home countries. We would like to be able to offer asylum seekers to be able to join one leisure activity of their choice: sport, drama, singing, etc. Asylum seekers get £37.75 per week to live on to cover food, transport, etc.
How this cause brings people in the community together
Many of the refugees and asylum seekers have helped local residents in Blackshaw Head at a community orchard, attended the Great Get Together, the Welcome Festivals, done cooking classes, participated in a walking group in Hebden Bridge, performed at musical events and socialised with local residents, which creates mutual understanding and social inclusion. Many local residents are volunteers.