Frome marks the UK-wide Refugee Week from 17th to 23rd June. Tuesday’s edition of Frome FM show ‘All About Frome’ featured interviews with Svitlana from Ukraine and 24-year-old Araya from Eritrea, as well as FTC’s Welcome Hub Advice Officer Iryna. The episode also features the story of Soumaya who fled Syria with her family, read by Iryna. Presenter Rupert Kirkham spoke to Svitlana, Iryna and Araya about their personal experiences and journeys to the UK. Iryna also shared information about the Welcome Hub and the work it does to help people integrate and settle in, from language lessons and social opportunities to housing and food.
As Iryna said ‘you never believe it will happen to you. Your life can turn upside down in just a second.’
UNHCR reported that at the end of 2023, there were more than 117 million displaced people globally, many of whom were from Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. More recently 1.7 million people have been internally displaced in Gaza.
To mark Refugee Week, the Welcome Hub is hosting a series of events. These include ‘No Direction Home’, bringing a London-based group of stand-up comics who have experienced displacement personally or whose parents were refugees to Somerset as part of a UK tour on Friday 21st June. Tickets are between £5 and £15 on a pay-what-you-can basis, at the Merlin Theatre.
On Saturday 22nd June, musician Olha Koptieva and members of Frome’s Ukrainian community are sharing crafts and activities at 23 Bath St from 4pm, ahead of a concert from several local musicians from 5.30pm to 7pm. Admission is free for children and £4 per adult.
On Sunday 23rd, a full itinerary of activities for children and families is on offer in Victoria Park at the Welcome Hub’s Family Fun Day, featuring music, storytelling, art and yoga, with a shared picnic and refreshments available from the park café. View and bookmark the events at https://www.discoverfrome.co.uk/annual-events/refugee-week/. Listen to the Refugee Week episode of All About Frome at https://bit.ly/frome-fm-refugeewk. Find out more about the Welcome Hub
