Refugee Week

By Michelle Charlesworth

It's Refugee Week - a UK-wide celebration of  the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees, migrants and others seeking sanctuary in the UK to date. Founded in 1998, Refugee Week is held annually around World Refugee Day on 20th June. This year’s theme is ‘We Cannot Walk Alone,’ inspired by Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Refugee Week reminds us how we can all support each other to create inclusive and resilient communities.

At Aspire, we are responding to Asylum Welcome’s plea asking Oxfordshire to show refugees and asylum seekers that they are welcome in our communities. Aspire stands in solidarity, and we encourage our colleagues, supporters and other organisatrions in our community to  join us in embracing and sharing the many benefits of living in such a diverse community  

We offer a range of work-based ESOL (WBESOL) training and employment support for individuals from refugee and migrant backgrounds in Oxfordshire, playing an active role in enabling the development of work-based language and communication skills, as a complement to standard ESOL training.

Through class-based learning, industry shadowing and work experience with a variety of multi-sector partners, we work to tackle barriers, celebrate diversity and empower our learners to recognise their individual potential as they progress towards employment. In addition to this learning and employment support, we also deliver Inclusive Recruitment Workshops to support employers in improving their recruitment practices and introduce diverse talent to their teams. Aspire is also collaborating with partners to  support refugees, including work with Refugee Resource to integrate the principles of One Planet Living in their activities to reduce their carbon footprint.

Get Involved

Here at Aspire, we are committed to continuing to support Oxfordshire’s refugee and migrant community, providing employment, training, education and volunteering opportunities for people in this community - and continuing our work with community partners to sustain this momentum. Be an ally and explore how you can get involved with Oxfordshire's activities to support Refugee Week!