Welcome to our Spring Newsletter!

Dear Reader,

Thank you for taking the time to stop for a moment and open Borderlands’ newsletter. Spring has sprung and so has Borderlands team! After an intensive recruitment process, we have now the pleasure of having a full team made up of passionate and committed staff with a big heart. More on this in the upcoming pages.

In the last newsletter, I wrote about one of our core organisational values, Warmth, and how this manifest at Borderlands. Today, I want to talk about another value we hold close, Dignity.

Dignity is the way our volunteers, staff, members talk to each other. Dignity translates in giving people Choice; choice of nutritious and culturally appropriate food to get from our social supermarket to then cook at home; the choice to become a member at Borderlands; through consultation, to let our members choose the campaigning priority they want the organisation to advocate for; giving people choice by co-design our welcome centre space and choose the strategic direction of Borderlands. Never underestimate the importance of giving people space and choice.

While we remain worried about the government new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, and the continuous attempts to take dignity from people seeking safety - by taking away the possibility for refugees to obtain British citizenship, by expanding detention and focusing the rhetoric on dehumanising people fleeing persecution – we, at Borderlands, anchor our services in Dignity.

Enjoy your reading,

Susanna Revolti

Borderlands Chief Executive Officer

Dear Reader,

In the last newsletter, I wrote about one of our core organisational values, Warmth, and how this manifest at Borderlands. Today, I want to talk about another value we hold close, Dignity.

Enjoy your reading,

Susanna Revolti

Borderlands Chief Executive Officer

Click here to donate today!

Whats been happening in Borderlands?

Since the start of the new year, both Helen and Husnaa have joined the welcome team and have been busy learning the ropes!

"We’re both so grateful for the warm welcome we’ve received from staff, volunteers and members."

Since the start of the new year, both Helen and Husnaa have joined the welcome team and have been busy learning the ropes!

"We’re both so grateful for the warm welcome we’ve received from staff, volunteers and members."

The welcome centre drop-ins have been very busy over the past few months, with new members joining each week. Members have enjoyed the range of services on offer, including our Monday employability course (run by Curo group), Tuesday lunches, free haircuts and the social supermarket. Throughout the month of Ramadan, we have been able to offer takeaway boxes for our hot lunches, as well as increasing the number of Monday cooking sessions for those living in hotels, and increase the food provided in the social supermarket.

We have successfully recruited a new cohort of volunteers for the Welcome Centre, and look forward to running more training sessions and having these volunteers (the majority of whom are Borderlands members themselves) starting in their roles very soon; in the welcome, cleaning, kitchen, and help teams!

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and funders, we’ve been able to invest in permanent food storage at our Welcome Centre. This new space ensures food donations are stored safely and helps us manage our donations. The storage will contribute to our commitment to make our space a warm, welcoming environment for everyone who comes through our doors.

Our Feel-Good activities

Our Wednesday sewing and yoga groups, as well as Thursday climbing group, continues to be very popular with members.

We are in the process of bringing in a football coach to improve this service, and also setting up free sound bath therapy sessions for Borderlands members.

Our Wednesday sewing and yoga groups, as well as Thursday climbing group, continues to be very popular with members.

We are in the process of bringing in a football coach to improve this service, and also setting up free sound bath therapy sessions for Borderlands members.

On a gloriously sunny afternoon, we welcomed over 150 of our community members to the Trinity Centre for a vibrant and heartwarming celebration of Eid and Easter.

The event was a joyful occasion, bringing people from many different backgrounds together to relax, connect, eat, and dance in a space filled with warmth, laughter, and cultural richness.

The day began early with our fantastic team of volunteers, who worked tirelessly to prepare a delicious spread of food and transform the main hall into a festive, welcoming space with colourful decorations and music filling the air.

The event was a joyful occasion, bringing people from many different backgrounds together to relax, connect, eat, and dance in a space filled with warmth, laughter, and cultural richness.

A special highlight of the afternoon was the presence of several incredibly talented henna artists, who offered intricate, hand-drawn designs to anyone wanting a touch of traditional artistry. The henna station quickly became one of the most popular spots of the day, with queues of smiling guests eager to take part.

For our younger guests, Project Mama created a delightful soft play area complete with toys, bubbles, and sensory play that kept children engaged and giggling throughout the day. There was also a buzzing Arts and Crafts corner, where children and adults alike got creative making colourful bracelets and festive celebration cards.

The atmosphere really came alive thanks to Refugee Women of Bristol, who curated a dynamic and diverse playlist featuring music from the many cultures represented in our community. It wasn’t long before the dance floor was packed with people of all ages showing off their best moves and teaching each other traditional dances from around the world. The energy and joy were truly infectious.

Food, of course, was at the heart of the celebration. Guests enjoyed a lovingly prepared menu that included mutton curry, vegetable curry, fluffy rice, fresh salad, homemade chutneys, pakoras, and a much-anticipated delivery of crispy, golden samosas. We ended the meal with a sweet treat of handmade baklawa—an indulgent and delicious finale to a truly special feast.

This event would not have been possible without the incredible support and collaboration from our partners: Refugee Women of Bristol, Aid Box Community, Bristol Refugee Rights, Bristol Hospitality Network, and Project Mama. A heartfelt thank you to every volunteer, staff member, and attendee who helped make the day so memorable.

It was a real privilege to celebrate both Eid and Easter side by side, in a space filled with friendship, solidarity, and shared joy. We are so grateful to have spent this afternoon with such an inspiring, resilient, and joyful community.

As spring brings new growth and renewal, so too does our Mentoring Project blossom with hope and connection.

We’re thrilled to share that we’ve recently trained 12 new volunteer mentors, most of whom are already matched and walking alongside individuals on powerful journeys of rebuilding and resilience.

We partnered with Trauma Foundation South West to deliver impactful training on working with people who have experienced trauma. Their expertise has been an invaluable part of our mentor preparation, and they continue to support our team of mentors with monthly group supervision and ongoing peer reflection.

Many of our current mentoring partnerships are focusing on two key areas: securing safe, stable accommodation and finding meaningful employment. These goals are life-changing, and our mentors are playing a vital role in helping individuals take practical, empowered steps toward them.

Referrals to the project have continued at a steady pace, with new connections coming from Unseen, the NHS, Bristol Mind, Womankind and through our own outreach in local hotels. It’s a reminder of how vital and visible this work has become across the city.

We also deepened our understanding through specialist training with Unseen on supporting survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking—ensuring our mentors can respond with sensitivity, safety and solidarity.

Together, we're cultivating a community rooted in trust, transformation and trauma-informed care. Here are two quotes from recent partnerships:

We’re thrilled to share that we’ve recently trained 12 new volunteer mentors, most of whom are already matched and walking alongside individuals on powerful journeys of rebuilding and resilience.

Together, we're cultivating a community rooted in trust, transformation and trauma-informed care. Here are two quotes from recent partnerships:

'It's good luck to know [my mentor] and she is a very nice person and friendly. She helped me so much. She has helped me improve my English, to get to know Bristol, to prepare for my interview, including getting proof ready…I had a nice time because she is a nice person and she gives me time. She's very patient and she did everything to understand me, even though my English isn't good. She's always happy to help me. It's really moved me. She's showed me many things which have helped with the asylum process. Its great to be a part of this program - it's helped me so much with asylum processes, for integration, for my English and all day!' Mentee

'It's been an absolute pleasure and I've learned a lot. I think we get on very well. I felt the most useful when [my mentee] was in hospital, advocating for her. Imagine if we weren't on this program – she would be completely on her own.' Mentor

Responding to huge demand the learning project has seen the addition of extra classes and new volunteers in the early part of 2025, with over 80 new students joining classes at the Assisi Centre alongside two lessons running in hotels.

Learning about topics as diverse as how to book appointments at the doctors to how the Six Nations works, our brilliant volunteer teachers have carried on their enthusiasm and friendliness, welcoming everyone to the Borderlands community.

Our teachers have also had a training session with Refulingua, receiving an Arabic language class which put the language learning shoe on the other foot, providing many laughs and interesting pronunciations alongside discussing adaptations to their own classes to make them as accessible and supportive as possible.

The poetry group has continued to provide those with a higher level of English with a space to analyse and debate poems and readings. Students have used poems as frameworks to share personal experiences and opinions, challenge ideas and create a vibrant and encouraging session.

Our Creative Women’s Group focused on developing creative skills, deepening our exploration of food and identity, and generating ideas for a performance event at Trinity Centre that took place last week!

Since January, our weekly workshops have reached 28 migrant women from over 15 different countries. The workshops were carefully tailored to participants’ interests, providing a welcoming space for self-expression, skill development, and social connection. We cultivated a core group of women who returned each week to explore creative activities in a friendly, supportive environment.Recognising the diverse talents within the group and our aim to become fully member-run, our Creative Women’s Group celebrated a wide range of artistic skills. Each session concluded with embroidery activities, with the support of our Workshop Assistant Sherien, who initiated the ‘Tablecloth Project’. Participants embroidered words in their own languages and food-themed designs onto a communal tablecloth – which became part of TASTE, our big performance event at Trinity.

“All your workshops which you were organising bring me joy. I would be happy to come again and again to any meeting.

I enjoyed everything. I like speaking and listening. I would like come again”

“All your workshops which you were organising bring me joy. I would be happy to come again and again to any meeting.

I enjoyed everything. I like speaking and listening. I would like come again”

TASTE: As the meal was prepared, audience members, performers, and participants came together to co-create a joyful experience using sound, movement, and visual poetry. There was live music played with kitchen utensils, embroidered tablecloths coming to life, delicious food, and a burst of communal joy. TASTE transformed ordinary rituals into extraordinary shared moments.

The event was designed with accessibility at its heart — breaking down language barriers and allowing participants to shape the performance in real time. We offered a crèche, a quiet space, BSL interpretation, and free tickets for refugees and asylum seekers. TASTE was a powerful culmination of this phase of the project. Over the months, we’ve seen confidence grow, friendships form, and creativity flourish. We’re excited to build on this energy, deepen collaborations, and continue championing access and growing a creative community of migrant women.

Do you feel inspired and want to be part of the Borderlands family?

Get in contact or check out our website and social media pages for more information...

Do you feel inspired and want to be part of the Borderlands family?

Get in contact or check out our website and social media pages for more information...

Staff Updates!

We’re delighted to have welcomed Doug, Helen, and Husnaa to the Borderlands team over the past few months. Each brings a wealth of skills, energy, and care, and we’re excited about the knowledge and perspectives they bring to our work.

We would also like to extend a warm welcome to Sneh one of our newly appointed trustees.

I joined the Borderlands Trustee Board in January and am delighted to be supporting the organisation.

I have been involved in the sector for just under a decade, having co-founded a social enterprise Bread & Roses in 2016 that supports women from refugee backgrounds to rebuild their lives through floristry training programmes.

I came across Borderlands through this work as we partnered to deliver one of our floristry training programmes in Bristol. When visiting the Welcome Centre I was struck by all the support available and from speaking to members it was clear that the work Borderlands does is so vital to the local refugee and asylum-seeking community. Having recently moved back to Bristol I was keen to support the organisation from this experience and have really enjoyed working with the board and team so far to ensure the vital work we deliver continues.

I joined the Borderlands Trustee Board in January and am delighted to be supporting the organisation.

At Borderlands, we are committed to continuous learning and reflection to ensure we provide the best services led by members' needs and contributions. This week, we took time to reconnect with our aims, values, and strategy, ensuring our work remains trauma-informed and rooted in warmth, sharing, dignity, and respect for everyone.

Together with our trustees, we took part in trauma-informed line management training delivered by Katherine Cox from Trauma Foundation SW. We also dedicated time to collaborating with our project teams and volunteers, strengthening our connections and ensuring Borderlands continues to be a place of welcome and belonging.

In February, our staff and partners attended Race Aware training. As an organisation, we are committed to learning, unlearning, and taking meaningful action to challenge racism in all its forms. This training was a vital step in strengthening our pledge to be actively anti-racist and in shaping internal changes that create a more inclusive and equitable space for all. Working alongside our partners, we will continue to ensure that Borderlands is a space where all refugees, asylum seekers, staff, and volunteers feel truly welcome, valued, and safe. We are also committed to internal organisational changes to reflect our learning and create a more inclusive and equitable environment for all.

A huge thank you to all staff and volunteers for your ongoing commitment, expertise, and energy in welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers.

Your efforts make a difference every single day, and we’re so grateful for everything you do!

A huge thank you to all staff and volunteers for your ongoing commitment, expertise, and energy in welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers.

Your efforts make a difference every single day, and we’re so grateful for everything you do!

A special thanks to..

St Francis primary school did a Christmas collection for us at Borderlands and raised a substantial amount of money. We went in to thank all the children for their generosity and showed them where their donation was being spent. It was a lovely morning and all the children where so kind and welcoming. They have kindly agreed to raise money for Borderlands again this Easter!

If you are interested in fundraising for Borderlands please click here to check out our website and for more information!

As we head into the rest of the year, we remain committed to building community, promoting inclusion, and continuing to create spaces where everyone feels they belong. We can’t wait to share more updates with you in the coming months.

Thank you for your ongoing support and for standing with us to turn exclusion into belonging.

Warm regards,

The Borderlands Team