More than 100 food lovers came to a Brixton pay-as-you-feel event last month that raised over £2,600 for Syrian refugees Eddie Thomas reports.
Three local groups – the Baytree Family; Refugees Welcome Lambeth; and Marhabtayn Syrian Supper Club – put on a lavish Syrian supper at Brixton Baptist Church.
Marhabtayn supper club is a group of Syrians and other Londoners who have organised five Syrian suppers in Brixton, all supporting people and groups who need money to deal with some of Syria’s many personal tragedies – disability, displacement and detention.
The Baytree Family organised the venue. Syrians from Refugees Welcome Lambeth joined Marhabtayn’s team of volunteer cooks.
Working with art activists Artmongers, Syrian children made decorations for the church hall. Their installation – a geometric pattern of bright fabric ribbons criss-crossing the church hall’s elaborate ceiling – symbolised the world’s interconnections.
The diners finished the evening with music by Julia and Lama from the group Music with Refugees and they danced the traditional Syrian debkeh.
Some of the funds raised will go straight to families in need in Syria and Lebanon. The rest will be used to sponsor a refugee family to come to Lambeth.
In 2015, the UK promised to take 20,000 Syrian refugees over five years, and it’s not meeting this target.
Last year, the government set up a community sponsorship programme for Syrian refugees. Communities who want to show solidarity with refugees need to provide support networks and raise £9,000 for each family.
Marhabtayn and its partners want to raise money and provide support so that they can welcome a refugee family to Lambeth through the community sponsorship scheme.
If you would like to find out more about sponsoring a refugee family in Lambeth, please contact.
