Help refugees in the South of England find their Welcome!
Speak to Samuel Luak who represents the South of England on the Welcome Churches team, or email samuel.luak@welcomechurches.org. He will be happy to help with your church’s needs.
Regional Need
From Afghan families being relocated at short notice, to those arriving from Hong Kong, planning a new life in the UK; from the recent influx of Ukrainian refugees, to the long-established dispersal housing for asylum seekers; from ‘temporary’ hotel accommodation, to destitution: there is a clear need for regional support across the South of England. Local churches are excellently placed to ensure that those seeking refuge in the South of England are welcomed into their local community. Welcome Churches knows how important it is for these churches to be able to speak with someone for advice, to meet and discuss working with refugees in their local area, to have access to high-quality training and resources, and to make connections between various local agencies.
Local Response
Samuel joined Welcome Churches in November 2022 as our Regional Engagement Officer for the South of England. Samuel has wide experience working with refugees and those seeking asylum, and holds a passion for enabling churches to support them in their own communities. He has supported refugees for many years through resettlement and integration and is keen to help churches to be more welcoming for people seeking refuge in their community, especially refugees and asylum seekers.
He is keen to:
engage with local churches, establishing strong relationships with and between churches across the South
develop a better understanding of local needs
foster increased opportunities for regional training and collaboration, and
establish relationship-based partnerships to deliver key support.
Future Direction
We are keen to hear from churches across the South. What would help your church in its work with asylum seekers and refugees? Please contact Samuel to share your thoughts and areas for future development for Welcome Churches across the South, or to find out how we can best support your church.
Supporting your region
You can help support our work, programmes and development in the South of England by donating today. Your donations help to develop strong partnerships that offer the best possible local, on-the-ground support to churches working with refugees. Donate now to support Welcome Churches projects across the South of England.