2024 has been an incredibly busy year for Herts Welcomes Refugees: we have welcomed new families arriving under resettlement schemes, supported asylum seekers while they wait to hear whether their claims have succeeded and helped those who have had positive decisions as they start to build their lives in the UK. 

2024 has also seen the uglier side of British society in the riots – actual and threatened  which makes the welcoming work we do all the more needed and appreciated. 

We are constantly amazed by the commitment and willingness to adapt shown by our volunteers in giving their time so generously in providing practical and emotional support.
Welcoming more refugees and asylum seekers not only means more volunteer time, it also means more money to help those lucky enough to be starting a new phase of life in setting up home and to support those who are trying to get by on asylum seeker support.  Like many others, people with refugee status who can work are really struggling with the cost of living.

We are looking forward to 2025 and want to continue to support as many people as possible but need your help to do so.  
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Can you help us to do this by making a donation to our Warm Welcome Appeal to get 2025 off to a good start?

Here is an indication of the kind of things we will use your donations for:

​Initial welcome
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We have seen a large number of new asylum seeker arrivals this year, many of whom arrive with just the clothes they stand up in.

£25 helps us to provide a supermarket voucher so the new arrival can buy underwear and a couple of basics such as track suit bottoms or a hoodie. 

£65 for vouchers for uniform basics and shoes as new arrivals start school:

Moving on

Some people are moving into furnished or partly furnished accommodation and so need comparatively little support.  Others are moving into completely empty accommodation.   

It’s impossible for people who have not previously been allowed to work to buy the basics to set up home. 

​Most of the household items we provide are donations, our policy is only to buy where necessary or where it is not practical to source from donations. 

​Here are some examples of things we have bought and expect to continue to buy next year:

If you can make a donation towards these costs, people we are supporting will be so grateful!  See some images below showing what a difference this type of help can make:

Please donate now to help us continue to give a warm welcome to those seeking sanctuary here

It’s also really helpful if you can make regular donations throughout the year because that gives us more financial stability and allows us to plan more effectively. 
If you would like to support in this way, please use the ‘I’d like to give regularly’ option from the Donate button below.