A fundraising appeal has been launched to help people in Bristol support around 300 refugees who are arriving in the city this week.
The hundreds of refugees have fled the war in Ukraine, and may end up with no official Government support, so a refugee charity based in Bristol has set up a big appeal to allow people to help.
Aid Box Community's fundraiser has so far raised almost £3,500 but set themselves a target of £25,000 needed to support so many refugees arriving in the city in one go.
Read more: Two Ukrainian sisters have been reunited and now live next door to each other in Bristol
Aid Box's founder and director Imogen McIntosh said the charity needed local support 'now more than ever before' to deal with the influx of more than 300 Ukrainian refugees.
She said the 300 they know of are coming through the Homes for Ukrainians scheme, and many more are expected in the coming weeks to join family members in the UK.
Imogen said many are arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, and will need support, stuff and assistance to get settled in new lives in Bristol. Aid Box Community run a Free Shop and advice centre in Cheltenham Road in Montpelier, and have expanded the opening times of that to be five days a week. The shop is one with a big difference - rather than selling donated items to raise money, it is a free shop where refugees who have arrived in Bristol with nothing can see what they need for free.
As well as expanding the opening times of the Free Shop, the charity is recruiting new volunteers and staff, is running more of its 'Connections Programmes', and is increasing its wellness activities, like yoga, football, sewing, swimming and cycling, as well as women's support groups and cooking classes, which all help refugees who have arrived in Bristol settle in, meet new friends, and be supported.
"Our small charity has had to quickly expand once again to a big crisis,’ said Imogen McIntosh. ‘We will need to support both the people who have been displaced and the families taking people in. We need local support now more than ever before."
She said Aid Box Community was dedicated to providing practical aid and wellbeing support to refugees and asylum seekers - and said it was now seeing 'unprecedented demand' for its services with the new influx of 'often traumatised Ukrainian families'.
"We need your help. Without any support from government, most of the Ukrainian refugees will rely on charities for guidance, advice, sanctuary, and practical support," said Imogen. "Please dig deep and support these refugee families arriving in Bristol. You can make a difference to the lives of these displaced people," she said, adding that the crowdfunder campaign would allow the charity to adapt and expand its services to meet the new demands of the Ukrainian crisis, as well as assist all the refugee communities across Bristol.
To find out more about the fundraiser and donate, click here.
To find out more about Aid Box Community and how to help, click here.
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