Prayers for Ukraine event in Coventry
Coventry churches and local charities have been working closely together over the past couple of months to coordinate how we as Christians can support refugees – both those forced to flee their homes because of the violence in Ukraine, and those from around the world who arrive in our city seeking sanctuary.
Bishop Christopher organised a prayer gathering in Broadgate for Ukraine on 6th April, whilst Together for Change, HOPE Coventry and St Francis Radford ran a webinar on 7th April offering tips for individuals interested in hosting refugees in their homes.
HOPE Coventry has worked at bringing local churches and charities together – Carriers of Hope, Together for Change, St Francis of Assisi Church Radford, Hope into Action, St Peters Hillfields, Refugees at Home and Feed the Hungry, to look at a strategy for helping Christians from different denominations to support refugees here across Coventry and Warwickshire.
The following strategic response was agreed:
- Individual response – individuals interested in hosting Ukrainian families via the Coventry City Council matching scheme would be signposted and training provided to support them.
- Church response – Churches supporting in ways that are unique to them, such as spiritual support for both hosts and newly-arrived guests, corporate gathered prayer, facilitating worship in the languages of newly-arrived communities, sending food and aid out via Feed the Hungry’s existing supply chains, Feed The Hungry - A Full Life Feels Good, supporting the Ukranian speaking church in Coventry with funds St Wolodymyr the Great (Ukrainian) Catholic Church - Coventry (catholicdirectory.org) and providing ongoing relational support;
- Christian Organisations response – charities such as Carriers of Hope, Hope into Action and Feed the Hungry are able to respond quickly and efficiently. Together for Change’s project ‘Fresh Start’ also has extensive experience assisting newly-arrived refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Coventry working with the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre providing English lessons (ESOL), physical needs, befriending, or hosting.
If you are interested in helping to welcome newly-arrived guests here in our city, please feel free to get in touch with Together For Change’s Fresh Start coordinator, Matt Robinson, on Matt.Robinson@Coventry.Anglican.org (07983 211277). There are many initiatives you can get involved in, and Matt would be happy to signpost you to the relevant agency.
Jet Jones is the CEO of Together For Change and coordinating the Anglican response, and on the strategy group for the ecumenical response across Coventry and Warwickshire, therefore if you would like to contact her, she is available at: jet.jones@coventry.anglican.org
The following websites are also helpful:
https://togetherforchange.org.uk/initiatives/fresh-start-project
Feed The Hungry - A Full Life Feels Good
Building Partnerships · Speaking Out · Giving Hope | HOPE Coventry
https://carriersofhope.org.uk/
https://www.stfranciscoventry.org/
https://www.refugeesathome.org/
https://coventry.hopeintoaction.org.uk/
Find Your Welcome with Welcome Network | Welcome Churches
St Wolodymyr the Great (Ukrainian) Catholic Church - Coventry (catholicdirectory.org)