A message from the CEO: Warmth in every sense of the word... |
What does warmth mean to you? “Warmth" is a key value at Borderlands, felt the moment you step foot in our Welcome Centre. It’s an inclusive space where people seeking asylum, refugees, and other vulnerable migrants can truly belong. “Warm” was also the most frequently used word in recent months, as communities across the UK and around the world endured another summer of extreme heat. As ever, this disproportionately affects the most vulnerable people; those cooped up in a hotel room or in an overcrowded shared house without access to outside space. Across many regions, rising temperatures, droughts and floods are forcing people to leave the places they have always called home. At the same time, we are witnessing increasingly hostile rhetoric and policies towards people seeking asylum in the UK, with record levels of deportation and detainment, rapid hotel closures, the opening of mass accommodation sites, and violent protests in the streets of our ‘City of Sanctuary’. Nevertheless, our community stands strong. From opening the doors of our Welcome Centre, to running English classes, mentoring partnerships, and feel-good activities, we walk alongside people as they rebuild their lives as our neighbours. Thank you for being part of that journey. |
A dedication to Howard: This newsletter edition is dedicated to our longstanding volunteer, supporter and friend of Borderlands, Howard, whose generosity has allowed us to support countless individuals to feed their families through his donations to the social supermarket. Howard is and has always been a very important part of our drop in service, his kindness, care and smiley presence has made such a huge difference, and we are eternally grateful to him. We appreciate you, Howard. |
Would you consider making a monthly donation? Every day, we see the difference that regular support makes to people rebuilding their lives out of displacement and destitution. £5: will cover return bus travel for one our members to volunteer at our Welcome Centre or attend women’s only yoga sessions.
£10: will provide English language materials, such as dictionaries for our English classes. £40: will help buy fruit and vegetables to distribute to about 30 households in our Social Supermarket. A monthly gift, whatever the amount, helps us plan and respond quickly when needs arise, and provide consistent support to those who need it most. If you can, please consider becoming a regular donor! Please feel free to reach out to hello@borderlands.org.uk to discuss further. Thank you! Donations welcome here or via bank transfer: Name: Borderlands (South West) Limited Account Number: 73380768 Sort Code: 30-99-50 Lloyds Bank |
Join us as we look back on moments of celebration and wave goodbye to summer 2026. |
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A visit to remember: Thank you, Councillor Yassin Mohamud! We had the pleasure of welcoming the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Yassin Mohamud for lunch at our Welcome Centre. We’re grateful for the support and can’t wait to host you again soon! |
Every week, our Welcome Centre opens its doors for drop-in sessions; a warm, safe space where members gather to enjoy a hot halal meal, access practical support, and simply spend time together. Our services include: - Free, healthy groceries
- Breakfasts and hot lunches
- Art therapy
- IT support
- English assessments registrations
- 1:1 information and guidance at the Help Desk
- Barber services
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Our Board Game Table is also in full swing with Connect 4, Dominoes and table tennis. It’s wonderful to see the Welcome Centre continuing to grow into a lively space where members can access support, learn new skills, get creative, enjoy good food and, most importantly, connect with one another. |
Volunteer member chefs: Cooking up a storm |
A moment to celebrate: Thank you DAKOK! |
We were delighted to welcome migrant-led DAKOK to Borderlands, where they prepared a wonderful Kurdish feast for our members and team. The day was a powerful reminder of how food can bring people together and bridge cultures in the most meaningful way. Here’s a link to discover more about Dakok: https://dakok.org.uk/ |
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Our core ESOL students have ended the term strongly, with consistent numbers attending classes ranging from new to English to Intermediate levels. Classes have visited Bristol Central Library and the Folk House, registering to borrow books and learning more about opportunities available to them around the city, all while practicing their practical English with form filling and using directions. We have also started a maths class, where students have had hands on help with learning both maths itself and language around it, decoding complex questions and learning new terminology. |
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Summer school: “Our City” However, our focus for this newsletter and its call for celebration come from our first ever Summer School! Funded by Bristol City Council and run in partnership with City of Bristol College, over 60 students attended classes that covered a huge range of topics. |
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Focusing on the theme “Our city”, students learnt about Bristol, its history and its street art, and then expanded to include trips to Cardiff and its Castle, and Bath and the Roman Baths. Classes focused on building confidence and included a heavy emphasis on students practicing their English in many situations ranging from cafes to train stations. |
Help us to continue our work with people experiencing insecure immigration status. |
Thank you to our partners and Bristol City Council, and funding permitting, we very much hope to deliver this again! |
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In a context of growing hostility and uncertainty, the Borderlands mentoring partnerships continue to provide opportunities for celebration, solidarity and of course community. We currently have a considerable group of long-standing and newly trained mentors who are highly capable, diligent and dedicated. Special thanks to the continued flexibility of our current mentors. Recent months have seen the beginnings of multiple new partnerships, with mentees setting a variety of goals from navigating essential systems, like finding employment and accessing universal credit, to exploring the local community by engaging in recreational activities like swimming. |
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One mentee was thrilled to receive a laptop through the Step Ahead Trust, which will prove enormously useful in his pursuit of education and employment opportunities. With the support of her mentor, another mentee was able to move to appropriate housing for her circumstances, which is a huge success given the challenges navigating the complex housing system in Bristol. Another mentee was recently awarded a sanctuary scholarship and was accepted onto a nursing course at UWE, a considerable achievement given the competitiveness of both the scholarship and the course. It’s always a pleasure to see Borderlands members pursuing their ambitions and talents and growing in confidence as they navigate complex systems with the support and encouragement of their mentors. |
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 | Thanks to Helen, our weekly women's yoga sessions remain a firm favourite, combining gentle practice, calming fairy lights, and shared meals. The group rounded off a wonderful term with a picnic in Trinity Garden. Huge thanks to Helen and Nabil; our members are already counting down to the next term! |
We celebrated community in style at Exmouth beach, and it did not disappoint, think food, games and sense of gratitude for the warmth that exuded everyone there. This is what belonging looks like! |
Acknowledging the Realities: |
This season has presented great challenges for hotel residents, and our team, as two of the hotels housing asylum seekers in Bristol were closed. Our project began in these hotels, which Borderlands has been visiting weekly for the last 3 years. The Home Office announced that the closure of Hampton by Hilton hotel would take place in May, and Holland House hotel in August. These consecutive closures follow the government’s plan to close all hotels nationwide as they have become a target for anti-immigration sentiment and misguided ideas about the ‘luxury’ that asylum seekers are afforded. The closure of the hotels has caused strong and conflicting emotions. We have long chronicled the inhumanity and unsustainability of their use; residents are forced into cramped living spaces and to eat the same meal day in day out, while large management companies pocket millions of pounds in government contracts. However, the residents in these hotels have worked hard to make Bristol their home. |
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 | Children are in school, adults are in college, people have made friends, volunteered, had babies, lived here in Bristol sometimes for years, while they wait for their refugee status. The residents of these hotels are relocated all over the country, from Glasgow to Plymouth on a ‘no choice basis’, where refusing the move can now negatively impact your asylum claim. |
Celebrating the strength amidst the hard times. |
Despite these circumstances, we have seen the best of people in the last few months. We collaborated with the outstanding outreach team at Bristol Refugee Rights, running extra drop-in sessions together every week to make sure people could access legal advice and move-on support in one visit. We ran sessions with The Haven and Patients not Passports where residents could receive their NHS numbers and advice for transitioning medical support in their new location |
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| We had frank and honest conversations with people who were devastated to leave Bristol, but for whom the departure meant an opportunity for more independence; a house for their family where they can cook their own food and come and go as they pleased without having to sign in and out with a security guard. We are and will always be astounded by the resilience of the people we’re privileged enough to work with. |
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A Dedication to Khalid: With heavy hearts, we said goodbye to one of our members, Khalid Abdullahi, in June this year. Khalid touched many people’s lives with his smile and his gentleness; it was an honour to know him even for a short time. He was laid to rest at a beautiful and peaceful ceremony full of people who knew and cared for him. We send our deepest condolences to his family; our prayers are with them in this extremely difficult time. |
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The Change Makers Group has had a busy and exciting summer, taking part in a range of activities and opportunities to develop their skills and have their voices heard. The group joined a bus campaign event, they took part in training on intercultural communication, helping them build confidence in communicating and working with people from different cultural backgrounds. They also played an important role in helping to develop a Borderlands volunteer survey, sharing their ideas and experiences to help improve volunteering opportunities within the organisation. As part of their learning about leadership and decision-making, the group met with the Borderlands CEO, who explained how decisions are made within the organisation. They were also joined by the BS5 Councillor, who talked to the group about how decisions are made within the local council and how communities can have their voices heard. The Change Makers are now putting their planning skills into action as they prepare to organise a community party at Felix Road on 26 September, bringing people together to celebrate community, connection and the achievements of the group. |
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Are you interested in becoming our Chair of trustees? |
To the Borderlands team, we celebrate you. |
 | That sense of togetherness shone bright at our Volunteer Summer Celebration at the Trinity Centre; a joyful event celebrating everyone who makes our work possible. To our incredible volunteers: thank you for being the heart of Borderlands. |
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Celebrating our Bristol Half Marathon runners: We raised over £600.00 this year Get in touch at hello@borderlands.org.uk to run for Borderlands next year! |
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Solidarity Clothes SWAP was a success, thank you to all who came. We raised over £100.00 and we can't wait for the next one! |
Refugee week festival – A moment to remember. Bristol came together to celebrate sanctuary, where music, food, and community made the perfect blend of unity. Thank you to refugee week festival for having us. |
Forwards Festival Our August weekend at Forwards Festival was filled with powerful connection. We spent the festival debunking common myths, sharing what life is really like for sanctuary seekers, and giving out plenty of our famous temporary tattoos. We can’t wait to be back next year! |
Help us build belonging for our community. |
Join us in standing alongside people seeking safety in Bristol. Your generosity makes every drop-in meal, mentoring session, and advice desk possible. Donate Today: If you’d like to fundraise for Borderlands, please contact hello@borderlands.org.uk Thank you for standing with us as we continue to work towards a society that welcomes, supports and protects those in need. |
We are Borderlands We have a vision for a world where refugees, asylum seekers and those with insecure immigration status are welcomed with sanctuary and justice. We strive for a future in which all vulnerable migrants are supported from exclusion to belonging. Visit our website to explore our projects. |
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