Doncaster Conversation Club at St. Columba's

Last month on a Saturday in late November, a group of refugees and volunteers from the Doncaster Conversation Club visited York for a day out. Through his connections with refugee work in York, Derek (my supervisor/host dad/Church Secretary) invited them to use our space at St. Columba's for lunch. I helped some wonderful volunteers from the Friends Meeting House in York set up for the occasion and prep for lunch. Then over 70 people arrived and we had lunch together in the Main Hall.

Afterwards, we split into groups of about 7-8 people - 6 or so refugees, plus one Doncaster volunteer, and one York volunteer. I served as a York volunteer for a group of refugees and showed them around York. It was WONDERFUL. Everyone in my group was so lovely. We went all around York and saw the Christmas markets, the main sights, and battled SO many Christmas crowds. We couldn't go on the City walls because one member of our group was in a wheelchair, so we got to see a lot more of the city centre.

I won't share my group members' names or pictures for privacy reasons but if you want to read more about this experience, I wrote a bit about it for the DCC Newsletter that came out last month. You can click this link and scroll to page 5. My piece starts in the middle column. (They can share more pictures because they've talked to directly to refugees who don't mind having their photo shared.)

This picture I think is particularly interesting. It shows a group of refugees from our visit together looking at a map at the York Castle Museum (which we visited (all 70 of us!) as part of the tour). They are looking at a world map in 1914. I just think the relationship between world events since 1914 to the refugee crisis is very interwoven and connected.

A few things I didn't mention in the newsletter:
-The tour of York made me realize how hard it is to be in a wheelchair, anywhere, most likely, but definitely in York. It made me so grateful for my own mobility.

-Once again, I had a profound appreciation for my own privilege and blessings. Also, for the incredible strength of the human spirit to survive trauma and hardship.

-I'm struggling to adjust to life here for only one year, knowing I'll return home in August, and also already as a native English speaker. The experience of the refugees - wow. So much harder, so much more intense and life-altering. AND it's hard to learn English!! The refugees I spoke with were all working so hard to acculturate and adjust AND learn a new language. This made me appreciate the good things I've got.

-The afternoon was followed by a talk from Kathy Galloway, who is a pastor in the United Reformed Church and a member of the Iona Community up in Scotland (an ecumenical Christian group that works for social things... I don't know many details) starting at 4.30 pm. She spoke about visiting refugee camps in Greece and the appalling conditions there and the struggles of displaced persons.

Photocred to Danielle!