A midday talk at St. Nicolas Church highlighted the ongoing efforts of the Abingdon churches and community to provide support for refugees. Rev. Keith Dunnett of Christ Church introduced the session. About 40 people attended.
Sue explained how the Host Abingdon initiative began nine years ago in response to a call from St. Ethelwold’s House (pictured above) to assist families fleeing war and persecution. The initial focus was on resettling Syrian families, with eight families arriving in Oxfordshire, as part of a government scheme. Host Abingdon provided support with language classes and advice on navigating unfamiliar systems, bureaucracy, and housing. They recognised the challenges of learning a new language after experiencing the trauma of war. These families have now integrated well into the community, many are now British citizens and 2 children attend university.
When the war in Ukraine began, Host Abingdon initially felt overwhelmed. Christ Church stepped forward to provide assistance and volunteers.
Host Abingdon also supports refugees residing in a Home Office hostel in the area and has built relationships with the women and children there, who have fled war zones in Eritrea, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Syria. One of the women shared her experiences and the help she has received both emotional and practical.
Janice, Chair of Host Abingdon, and from the International Welcome Café at Christ Church described their work. The café provides a welcoming space where people can improve their English and meet others. Typically, 20–30 people attend each week, including visitors and children, volunteers, and representatives from agencies. The café, which began in 2022 in response to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees, is open to people of all nationalities and operates free of charge.
Keith highlighted the global scale of the refugee crisis, noting that 103 million people were forcibly displaced in 2023, a number likely to increase in 2024 due to the conflict in Gaza. A relatively small number of these individuals come to Abingdon.
The churches and community in Abingdon have a commitment to supporting those in need, whether at home through the food bank or those fleeing conflict zones though Host Abingdon, and the International Welcome Café.
Tomorrows midday talk and prayers at St Nicolas are about supporting looked-after children.