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Film Nights: CAPERNAUM - September 2023

Following the success of our first film night, Exeter WAYmakers invite you to a screening of “Capernaum”. This powerful, award-winning film tells the story of Zain, a 12-year-old living in a Beirut slum, who sues his parents for neglect.

The film will be screened at:

Blessed Sacrament Parish Centre, 29 Fore St, Heavitree, Exeter EX1 2QJ on Thursday 14th September 7pm

and at the Lower Room, Sacred Heart Church, 25 South Street, Exeter EX1 1EB on Tuesday 19th September 7pm.

Refreshments will be available. Reserve your FREE ticket with an email to: nsmallwood@doctors.net.uk.

If you can’t join us on this occasion, please visit Exeter WAYmakers here at: www.exeterwaymakers.org.uk and discover ways in which you can help support us to resettle a family.

Refugee Week 2023 > June 19th-26th

COMPASSION – City of Sanctuary - Your Presence in the Community.

COMPASSION – City of Sanctuary - Your Presence in the Community. Refugee Week > June 19th-26th

Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity,

and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary, this year will be the UK’s 25th anniversary!

The theme for this year's Refugee Week is COMPASSION.

We hope you can join us and show what active compassion looks like!

Simple Acts are everyday actions we can all do to stand with refugees and make new connections in our communities.

SIMPLE ACTS:

(FIND OUT MORE >: Read a book, Have a Chat, Send A Message, Listen & Share, Walk together,

Grow your Compassion, Use your Platform, Join a movement … e.g. Exeter WAYmakers)

REFUGEE SUPPORT DEVON: Refugee Week 2023

Film Night: The SWIMMERS July 14th 2023

Refugee Week lasts seven days, but the movement for a kinder, fairer and more joyful world continues all year round.

Exeter WAYmakers invite you to a screening of the film ‘Swimmers’ On Tuesday 11 July at 7pm.

The venue is Sacred Heart Church. 25, South Street, Exeter, EX1 1EB (Lower Room).

This acclaimed film is about two Syrian sisters who flee their war-torn home in Damascus, swim for hours in choppy Mediterranean seas to reach Greece as asylum seekers before going on to compete at the Rio Olympic Games.

We would love to have you join us. Refreshments will be available. Tickets are limited. Request your FREE entry ticket with an email to: nsmallwood@doctors.net.uk

If you can’t join us on this occasion please explore the website and discover ways in which you can help support us to resettle a family; provide your contact details. get involved, fundraise, donate, and lots more...

Closing out 2022 and Welcoming in 2023

Reporting on the past year and next steps

We are working towards welcoming and resettling a refugee family in Exeter with the support of the Catholic charity Caritas Plymouth. The refugees, from UNHCR camps, have been waiting a long time to be resettled.

Progress in the last 12 months:

The parishes of Sacred Heart, Blessed Sacrament and Holy Cross have been supporting this project for over twelve months in a variety of ways.

Fundraising has been progressing well: we have received a number of very generous donations and several events, such as coffee mornings, plays, together with pumpkin carving at St Nicholas school, have raised money towards the fund.

Some of this money will be used to purchase furniture and equipment when our family arrives together with paying for services that may be necessary, such as interpreting.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to this very worthy cause. We have raised over £15000 so far.

A major obstacle to progress has been finding suitable accommodation for a refugee family and the team has been working hard through 2022 to explore how this can be achieved.

Given the financial circumstances around benefits and the rental and purchase housing markets, this has proved a real challenge, but a promising possible solution is presently being discussed.

We need help now on the core team within areas such as communication - website, social media.

When the family arrives we will also need volunteers to help with a variety of jobs - welcoming and supporting the family with attending appointments, befriending, transport around the city, translating and many others, such as help with the benefits system and even DIY skills!

We want to expand now in order to get the necessary Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks in place, so if you would like to be involved and can help with any of these tasks please contact the team through our website.

Exeter WAYmakers - January 2023