Many people in Southampton joined together at the Peace Vigil for Ukraine in Guildhall Square last Friday evening, 11th March, which was addressed by religious and civic community leaders.
The Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Alex Houghton welcomed people and said “it’s truly humbling to see how the people of Southampton, including those with Polish, Ukrainian and Russian connections, have come together to help the people of Ukraine.”
Continue readingThe Right Revd Debbie Sellin, the Bishop of Southampton, visited the Avenue Multicultural Centre (AMC) this morning to meet people seeking asylum and speak to some of the Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG) team.
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Yesterday we held a rally in the centre of Southampton to show solidarity with refugees and people seeking asylum. Lots of people stopped and wanted to show their solidarity. Representatives of Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG), CLEAR (City Life Education and Action for Refugees), Southampton Stand up to Racism (SUTP), Amnesty International and Greenpeace were among organisations participating, working together for a kinder, fairer asylum system.
The Together with Refugees coalition held a rally advocating for asylum seekers in Parliament Square this afternoon. It was awesome to see such a diverse range of organisations coming together to challenge the UK government’s Asylum Bill and show solidarity with refugees.
Professor Chris Stephens, Chair of Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG), met with the Bishop of Southampton, the Rt Revd Debbie Sellin today, to discuss ways to support people seeking asylum and refugees in Southampton. David Retter and Revd Dr Stephen Sizer, trustees of SWVG, also attended.
As a trustee of Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG), I am delighted to share this short introductory video about our work, befriending and supporting asylum seekers and refugees in the Southampton area. We are also continuing to lobby the government for a more compassionate approach toward asylum seekers.
As a trustee of SWVG, I am delighted to share this short video about our work. It provides an introduction to the work of Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group. We are volunteers who befriend and support asylum seekers and refugees in the Southampton area.
For more information visit our website
I am a trustee of Southampton & Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG) and am delighted we have joined a new coalition, Together with Refugees. With over 100 other organisations, we call for a better approach to supporting refugees that is kinder, fairer and more effective.
How we treat refugees is about #WhoWeAre. If we feared for our lives, we’d want to know that others would help us to safety. Together, we are calling for a better approach to supporting refugees that is more effective, fair and humane. This means standing up for people’s ability to seek safety in the UK no matter how they came here. And ensuring people can live in dignity while they wait for a decision on their asylum application.
It means empowering refugees to rebuild their lives and make valuable contributions to our communities. And it means the UK working with other countries to do our bit to help people who are forced to flee their homes.
New government proposals abandon people fleeing war and persecution. We’re calling for a more humane approach to people seeking protection in the UK. Two in three women and children that the UK accepts as refugees now, would be turned away under proposed new government rules. Read more here.
The Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG) are a group of volunteers who befriend and support asylum seekers and refugees in the Southampton area.
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Peacemaker Trust 