Promoting positive relationships

With the aim of encouraging positive engagement with the school and developing good relationships with their refugee and asylum seeker families, a school in Hemel Hempstead organised a hugely successful community event.
 
The school invited all their refugee and asylum seeker families to a community event, where they conveyed their passion in ensuring the families felt valued, supported and are an important part of the school community where their children are valued and cared for.
 
They reached out to Herts Welcomes Refugees for their support knowing that many of the families were already known to the charity. HWR supported the school by sending personalised invitations to 21 families and answering any concerns the families had which they were happy to share due to the relationships which had been developed over time.  What a great evening it was!
 
45 people attended the event representing 15 families who were greeted by the Head of School and enthusiastic staff members.

After a welcome of tea and coffee, there were short presentations from the Head of School and a trainee humanities teacher who had the gem of the idea in the first place.

This was then followed by an opportunity to chat with each other and school staff while enjoying pizza and games which the school had provided.

HWR’s volunteers Alison and Sue who know the families well, also attended the event and ensured parents who are less mobile could be a part of the evening by collecting them and taking them home afterwards.

Not only did it give Sue and Alison the opportunity to ‘catch up’ with events in the lives of so many that the charity had supported, Alison commented, “.. to see so many of the young people thriving was just such a joy.’
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The whole event was an example of organisations coming together with their individual strengths, to promote positive relationships and create an environment where young people can thrive and achieve.