June Update

​First of all, thank you SO MUCH for the amazing response to our drive to raise funds for TVs.  You have been so generous that we have now organised TVs and licences for every family in Herts with cash to spare.  Surplus funds have been allocated to support families with other important items, like disability living equipment and cooking utensils, but more families are arriving, so we'll need to keep fundraising for this purpose.

Feedback from local area meetings that took place lately has been that a) people are hungry to get more involved and b) the long newsletters can be a bit overwhelming to read!

The committee all need help in running our network and supporting the Refugee Council, so this newsletter is going to be a 'menu' of really useful things we'd love people to do.

Please feel free to skip the roles that don't interest you and focus on any that catch your eye!

Please email [email protected] if anything looks like it has your name on it, and we'll have a look at what we've got and get back to you.

Best wishes, from

Katie and HWSF Committee

Important Unfilled Roles

Fundraising
All fundraising is extremely welcome, be it a one-off event or an ongoing commitment or anything in between!  More families will be arriving, so, for example, more TVs, school uniforms and cooking equipment will be needed.  A reminder that donations go to our treasurer, Mick Hayter, email: [email protected]

Local area assistants
We could really use a person or two more in each area to run local meetings and disseminate information relevant to that district from local authorities and our Refugee Council workers.

Local area coordinator - Watford
Being HWSF's focal point for volunteers in this area.

Providing free access to your wifi
The families need internet, particularly for school homework, job hunting and writing home.  We are researching laptops to purchase for each family and the idea is that we create a map for each district of public hotspots which our families are explicitly invited to use.  If your cafe, club, place of worship or other space (not your private home) can welcome our families for free, please let us know.

Goods storage and transport coordinator
As you know, we are filling the gaps left by the government's pretty basic provision for refugee families.  This involves moving goods to somewhere sensible for collection by the Refugee Council workers and currently is being managed in an ad hoc manner by committee members.  It needs a focal person for people to contact, preferably via email.

Local collectors and drivers
We need you to provide places for temporary drop-off points in all local areas.  We already have a list of kind driving volunteers, but the more the merrier!

Jumble Sale
Families need decent clothes and one way we'd like to help with this is by holding a big jumble sale this August in a central location for our families, with an added picnic/summer games social.  More in the next newsletter about the event itself, but we'll need donations of high-quality clothing and some help (see below)

Jumble Sale clothes collectors
...we will also really need people from each area to collect and sort donations.

Jumble Sale Support
We will need help with running this event.


Things we need

Storage space

Venues for meetings, welcome meals and social events

High-quality formal and casual clothing, for both adults and children, ahead of the planned jumble sale.

Household and other items for families, as and when requested via the Refugee Council workers.  We will advise as and when items are requested.