Evesham Vale Welcomes Refugees

16/06/2026

16/06/2026

Lovely to see Karim's success acknowledged so widely.

Karim has just been honoured with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service for his role in supporting the restoration of the historic Evesham Abbey Gardens!

After seeking sanctuary in the UK, Karim has been busy volunteering in his new community, helping with the physically demanding work that made much of the Abbey restoration possible.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups in the UK - equivalent in status to an MBE - and is awarded for life.

Karim is much-loved part of local City of Sanctuary group, Evesham Vale Welcomes Refugees

We are proud of Karim, and of all the volunteers who have helped bring the Abbey Gardens back to life.

15/06/2026

At the start of 2026, we would like to share with you this poem, written especially for this week and read publicly for the first time last Saturday by the poet at the event in Worcester Cathedral. Really poignant. A big thank you to https://jayroseana.com/

Two Plastic Bags

I live in St Johns, in Worcester, not far from here,
I have a neighbour from another land,
escaped from one form of fear,
whom I sometimes see, and greet, and hear.

To hear and see, to know their courage in the little things.
In the communal kitchen, planning to survive,
cooking little meals for a week on a meagre little budget.
When once, amidst their own,
in lands that thrived, they roared like a lion.

I think courage is less like a lion
and more like the weight of carrying two carrier bags
through a strange new place in the changing rain and heat,
of a strangers’ street, tired feet, nobody to meet,
measuring life in bread not meat.

I think courage is one of those bags
cutting into tired fingers,
whilst the other is full of everything
you could not bear to leave behind.

I think courage is standing at the bus stop
trying to stay small,
to pronounce the name of a place
that will always feel borrowed,
and never quite feel like yours at all.

I think courage is making sure to smile at the cashier,
a cashier smile, practiced, whilst counting coins twice,
nodding along to a joke you only half understand
and yet are, quite often, the butt of.

But my neighbour came HERE,
with two carrier bags and a photograph.
Now she knows which days the bins go out,
and how to go out and separate red from green,
which streets shrink her the least, and
which homemade biscuits to bring when somebody shares
bad news or questionable views.

The newspapers talk about borders.
But most of our lives are built from small courage at smaller crossings.
The first step into a food bank.

The nervous knock on a new front door.
The first time someone remembers your name.
And says it correctly.

And perhaps courage is simply this:
to arrive as a stranger,
and keep planting
pieces of yourself
into unfamiliar soil,

trusting that one day
your two plastic bags will become bags for life
and someone will point at a map in the street

that reads “you are here”

and say your name
whilst calling the place
you rest your feet

your home.

by Jay Rose Ana
Worcestershire Poet Laureate 2026-27

poetry for the soul

15/06/2026

Welcome to Refugee Week!

REFUGEE WEEK IS HERE! 🌍

Join us for the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

This week we’re celebrating COURAGE!

Over the next 7 days (and beyond!), get involved and be a part of a movement towards a kinder, more compassionate & equitable world.

You can take part in 3 simple ways:

1️⃣ Support local
2️⃣ Take part in Simple Acts
3️⃣ Host (or attend!) an event or activity

Join us to be part of a movement taking small steps to create big changes.💥

15/06/2026

14/06/2026

Refugee Week 2026 - hear the stories of some of the refugees now living in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Tuesday 16 June
6.30 pm
Escape Arts, The Old Slaughterhouse, Sheep Street, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6EE

13/06/2026

Some lovely comments in our Visitors Book already. Please go and add yours.

13/06/2026

Congratulations to Eric from all at EVWR!

12/06/2026

Courage belongs to us all.

As Refugee Week begins, we are mindful that this year’s festival takes place at a time when some communities are experiencing rising hostility, division and uncertainty. In recent weeks, we have seen incidents of racism, violence and attempts to disrupt events that celebrate welcome, inclusion and belonging.

It is precisely in moments like these that Refugee Week matters most.

For 28 years, Refugee Week has brought people together through art, culture, food, film, music, sport and conversation. It creates opportunities to meet neighbours, hear new stories, experience different cultures and discover what connects us. Each year, millions of people take part in tens of thousands of events and activities, helping to build stronger communities across the country and internationally.

Refugee Week is a celebration of the enormous contributions that people seeking sanctuary have made - and continue to make - to every part of our society. It is also a chance to deepen understanding of why people are forced to flee, and to recognise the importance of the right for displaced people to seek safety, dignity and opportunity.

This year's theme, Courage, feels especially resonant.

For refugees 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.

But courage belongs to all of us. Courage to welcome, to stand for what we believe in, and to celebrate culture and community.

At a time when some seek to divide and blame, Refugee Week offers an opportunity to broaden our horizons and discover the richness that emerges when people from different backgrounds share creativity and connection. This year also marks 75 years since the Refugee Convention - a landmark agreement affirming that those forced to flee deserve protection, dignity, and hope.

As Refugee Week 2026 begins (15 June), we invite everyone to celebrate the courage that lives within us all - join us and take part!

If you are hosting or participating in an event this year, read our 'Showing Solidarity and Staying Safe' resource, which offers an overview of Refugee Week alongside practical guidance for organisers.

It explores why the festival matters in today’s context, how it helps build connection and counter hostility, and shares simple, proportionate tips for planning safe, welcoming events - from risk awareness and safeguarding to managing online spaces and protecting personal information: https://refugeeweek.org/showing-solidarity-staying-safe/