Refugee Hospitality Day, 29th July 2023:
A day of fun, friendship and a warm welcome to Bakewell.
Planning started months ahead in preparation for our Bakewell Refugee Hospitality day on Saturday, 29th July 2023. Everything from booking the transport for our guests travelling from Derby, organising indoor/outdoor activities to flower arrangements for the lunch tables.
The day of the event finally arrived, rain showers forecast but the sun shone on a beautiful day in Bakewell. There was a hive of 'back stage’ activity with fifteen dedicated volunteers signed up to help on the day.
A wonderful sit down lunch consisting of a variety of hot & cold vegetarian dishes and sweet delights had been prepared and donated by our volunteers. A fabulous team effort!
Our guests shared stories, smiled and brought only warmth and gratitude to their day in the Peak District. The ladies particularly enjoying the jewellery making, the children the bubble blowing & badminton on the lawn. All the guests loved the visit to the Bakewell Old House museum and the walk through town to the river to feed the ducks.
As we said our goodbyes with hugs and handshakes at the end of the day, our guests settled back in the mini bus to travel to their temporary homes, waving enthusiastically through the windows.
Our hope is that this albeit brief time of stable peace can continue to be provided for individuals who have been through such unthinkable terrors.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone at COG from all of us involved in the Bakewell Hospitality days, for the funding which paid for the transport and without which we wouldn’t have been able to host our 21 Eritrean/Afghan/Sudanese/Ukrainian Refugee and Asylum seeker guests.
