Westminster: Evening on welcoming refugees from Syria

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Source: Westminster City Council

An evening to celebrate the settling of refugees from Syria in the capital and exploring what more we can do to accommodate refugees in Westminster will take place on Wednesday 7 February, from 6.30pm-8pm. Organised by Westminster City Council and Westminster Refugee Welcome, the event at St James' Church, 197 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL.

In September 2015, the Prime Minister announced that by May 2020, 20,000 Syrian refugees would be resettled in the UK under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS). So far, more than 9,000 vulnerable people from Syria have been resettled in the UK,half of them children.

This is a start. But political and media attention has moved on from the issue, while thousands of Syrian refugees remain stranded in camps in Europe. There is much more that individuals and communities in London can do to help.

At this event Westminster City Council will set out their ambitions for settling vulnerable refugee families in the City and explore how community groups and other stakeholders can get involved to make this happen. We will also hear from community leaders, volunteers and private landlords about their experiences welcoming refugees across London. The evening will include presentations from Westminster City Council, community leaders and landlords, a Q&A to Panel followed by a drinks reception.

Please share this invitation with anyone interested in being involved to come along.

Sign up to attend at the Eventbrite link here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/welcoming-syrian-refugees-to-westminster-2018-tickets-42194226066Or visit bit.ly/westminster_refugees

Please watch this video about the VPRS scheme and the need to resettle refugees: www.youtube.com/watch?v=em-WAyKtyAg&t= featuring comedian Miranda Hart, actress Dame Harriet Walter and politician Lord Alf Dubbs.

Westminster Refugee Welcome is a coalition of local faith and secular communities working to accommodate vulnerable Syrian refugees in the borough.

St James' Church, Piccadilly is currently hosting Suspended, an installation of hundreds of items of clothing discarded by refugees arriving at Lesbos, by artist Arabella Dorman.