Restore

<< www.restore-uk.org >>

Restore is a project of Birmingham Churches Together which aims to welcome, include and assist the integration of refugees and those seeking sanctuary from persecution. We work to achieve our mission through befriending, social activities, equipping refugees for work, advocacy and awareness-raising.

The befriending scheme brings refugee and host communities together. It involves the matching of volunteers with asylum seekers to provide one-to-one support. Restore facilitates day trips for refugee families during school holidays and social activities for lone asylum seeker men and women.

We run a training course for those who have leave to remain and are struggling to find work called ‘Equipping refugees for work’.

Restore seeks to change attitudes and foster inclusion by raising awareness in the host community about the need for people to seek sanctuary. This is achieved through speaking engagements, training courses, participation in church services and school classes, and circulation of information.

Restore is known primarily as a befriending project. Trained volunteers meet with a refugee or asylum seeker about once a fortnight. We ask those interested in befriending to attend our information and training sessions, which currently take place 3 times a year.