Chilling Anniversary
Friday 24th February 2023 marks the one year anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Current thinking seems to indicate the unlikelihood of resolution in the short and medium term, with most analysts sadly warning of a protracted and bloody war of attrition.
Glorious Alchemy Christmas Fundraising Concert
Our Christmas Concert took place in the Clifton Club, a wonderful setting that positively oozed sophisticated seasonal warmth and more than a little sparkle. We welcomed 140 concert-goers into the glorious sitting room, with an almost aerial view of the giant Christmas tree in the Mall Gardens. Isobel’s son, Jonah, played a set of improvised jazz piano classics as folk made their way to the bar, before taking their seats in the dining room.The whole room twinkled with over 150 candles, which acted as stage lights once the choir arrived, dressed from head to toe in sequins! We had had some bad luck earlier in the day when one of the choir went down with sickness and was sadly unable to join us on the night. Thanks go to Isobel’s daughter, Sorcha, a high Soprano, who learnt four songs in an hour and a half . . on the Tenor line! A trio performance became a duet and Isobel took on the solo in the second half, having sung it once through in the interval 
. The rest of the choir rallied and we all thoroughly enjoyed delivering our seasonal set. There is something terribly uplifting about singing Christmas songs and our audience were fantastically receptive, which makes it all the merrier. You can listen to the whole concert here – Glorious Alchemy Audio Clips.
The raffle prize, a Fortnum and Mason Family Christmas Hamper, was won by an ex choir member, which delighted us all. Guests were able to stay in the lovely surroundings after the concert and enjoy a glass or two with friends and family in the sitting room. All in all it was a joyful evening of festive fun and conviviality and we look forward to a rematch next year!
Welcome Bureau Fundraising Update
Sincere thanks go to our key donors, who enabled Welcome Bureau to get going in the very early days and to offer a three year commitment to the guests we are supporting via the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Heartfelt thanks also go to the army of volunteers and donors who enabled us to get the little house up and running with entirely donated goods. Many Ukrainian refugees are struggling to move on from host families in 2023 and we remain so very grateful that we were able to create a sustainable, long term solution from the outset.
Charitable and Tax Status
Our application to the Charity Commission was successful just before Christmas and we were assigned the charitable registration number 1201450. We have also now been granted charitable status for tax purposes, meaning our donations from now on can qualify for Gift Aid, effectively increasing their value by 25%.
Welcome Bureau Grant Allocation
Alongside the ongoing support of our Ukrainian guest family, we are now in a position to broaden our base of beneficiaries, whilst keeping an appropriate level of reserves. We have identified a community association working at grass roots level in the area between Bath and Bristol. As well as providing English lessons twice a week and a drop in cafe for both hosts and their guests, the Association is focussing on supporting Ukrainian families in the very difficult transition to independent accommodation when they want to move on to a home of their own. We know from experience that it is possible to appeal successfully for donations of furniture and household goods but that the small gaps in setting up a household can add up to a significant financial shortfall. We aim to supply a small number of low value items to a large number of beneficiaries, whether that be fresh bedding and towels, a desk lamp for a school child or a microwave oven for a young family. The grant allocation process is underway and we will provide an update in due course.
Thank You
Renewed thanks to you all for your tremendous ongoing support. Please know that our guest family overflows with gratitude on a regular basis. Although the life they and their relatives are living remains emotionally challenging, downright dangerous, painfully unpredictable and at times extremely bleak, between us all at Welcome Bureau we provide continuous comfort of a financial, physical, practical and emotional nature, as well as a safe haven for them and a foundation from which to make the most of a dire set of circumstances.
Our family is phenomenally grateful that their son is enjoying the opportunity of a good education here in Bristol, especially given the knowledge that Ukrainian refugee children in many other European countries receive no more than a couple of hours of language classes a day and that children in Kyiv are lucky if the electricity and other resources stretch to roughly the same amount of time. Both mother and son are studying hard and the city of Bristol, has provided some excellent language classes for free, including the notoriously difficult to access ‘English for Business’ course. When first we met, Mr Google Translate was also at the party but these days it is possible to chat away with our guests for some considerable time, with almost no translation required.
In further great news, the husband of one of our Glorious Alchemists has offered our guest a part time job in the finance department of his business and she plans to start when she finishes her courses in the Spring.
As Winter turns to Spring and the Ukrainian refugee community endeavours to come to terms with the horrifying fact that one whole year has passed since the start of the war, we continue to be blown away by the fortitude, adaptability and resourcefulness of the whole family in the face of constant adversity.
With warmest wishes,
The Welcome Bureau Trustees.
Isobel Trenouth, Julia Greenbury, Katie Clarke, Lynn McGeoch
