SWVG

World Refugee Day reflections: While aspiring for a new start and a second shot at life, refugees find themselves torn between the homeland they left behind and the life they must build in a foreign land. Unbearable homesickness and a deep sense of not belonging mark the inner realities of their everyday existence.

SWVG observes this year's Refugee Week amidst a political climate determined to reap gain from spreading hatred toward refugees and sowing distrust within our social fabric. Yet the unwavering cooperation and commitment from individuals and institutions — choosing love and compassion for fellow human beings — overrides any hostility targeting vulnerable refugees seeking sanctuary far from home. We are proud to stand on this side.

SWVG stands in solidarity with those fleeing danger and persecution. We remain committed to being a place of compassion, empathy, and a force for good — helping refugees find their bearings as they navigate the complexities of cultural shock and the reconstruction of their lives here in the UK.

On we stand with refugees, for whom courage is often a daily necessity. It is the courage to face unknown journeys, learn new languages, navigate unfamiliar systems, or simply to wake up each morning and step into an uncertain world.

Click the link to read more stories of courage from the people we work with at the Refugee Council: https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/support-us/campaign-for-us/refugee-week/

On Wednesday, we took part in our annual fundraiser for Refugee Week.

We are thrilled to announce that we raised £240 for CLEAR - our local refugee charity.

Thank you for your incredible generosity!

Keep celebrating Refugee Week until 29th August by visiting this display of artwork at Wi******er Cathedral by schoolchildren responding to this year’s theme, ‘Courage’! Thank you to the amazing SWVG volunteers and members who organised this exhibition as well, of course, to local pupils for their creativity and compassion.

Friday 19th June - Dreamers

On Friday 19th June, join Southampton Action at Harbour Lights for a screening of Dreamers. This will be followed by a Question and Answer session with two guests with lived experience of asylum and immigration detention and Nikki from Southampton Action providing local context.

Tickets available from the Harbour Light website: https://www.picturehouses.com/movie-details/017/HO00018139/refugee-week-dreamers-q-a?filter=

Congratulations to longstanding SWVG member Sumi for winning two ‘100 Hours Awards’, recognising the outstanding contributions of local volunteers, for her exemplary dedication to her voluntary work with us and Southampton Action (as well as CLEAR) presented here by the Lord Mayor of Southampton

Safe Passage International asks this Refugee Week: Will you send a message of courage to families who have been torn apart? A few words of courage can offer comfort, strength, and a reminder that families are not alone. Share what courage, hope, or belonging means to you

Last week in Belfast, homes were set alight, families were forced to flee, and people were targeted because of their race or where they come from.

It was a stark reminder of how fear and division take hold. When hostile rhetoric goes unchallenged, neighbours become targets and communities are left living in fear. That's why solidarity right now is crucial.

Every day, the refugees Safe Passage work with show extraordinary courage as they navigate separation, uncertainty, and the long journey to reunite with their families.

Refugee Week is a moment to recognise and celebrate that courage.

Our lawyers are working tirelessly to reunite families torn apart by war and persecution. With the government making this work harder, each reunion is a powerful reminder of what persistence and solidarity can achieve.

In times like these, messages of support matter.

Send a message of courage to families torn apart Our lawyers are fighting every day to bring loved ones together, whether they’ve been torn apart by the violence in Gaza, persecution in Afghanistan, or conflict in Sudan. But this government is making this work harder and harder. Families don’t know if they’ll ever see each other again. For t...

This Refugee Week, we stand with refugees 🧡

We’re championing welcome in our community through working with local schools who have reached out to those who flee their homes - to escape danger, hunger, persecution and war - in a celebration of their courage

For Refugee Week SWVG members & volunteers have been visiting schools and working with children on a creative response to this year's theme, 'Courage': you can visit the small exhibition of stunning bookmarks, which they designed, at Southampton Central library Southampton City Libraries until the 26th June