A and M are a married couple who have spent over a year travelling through Europe from the Middle East.
Attendees of Welcome Project
A and M arrived in the UK in August 2021 with very little English and were housed in a hotel in South London given over to asylum seekers.
In January 2022 the family started attending the Welcome Project which offers sessions for families with children under five in a one o’clock club near the hotel. The sessions were designed to provide a safe space for children to play and develop essential skills and a space for adults to familiarise themselves with child-rearing practices and the education system in the UK, and to explore issues relating to their children’s upbringing.
A and M were very quiet when they first started to attend but over a few weeks the family became more engaged with all the activities provided. M became a group leader encouraging other families to take part in all aspects of the project and enrolled at a local college for ESOL classes. A also became active in the group and took a lead in helping prepare lunch every week.
Their three children have also made huge progress.