Refuweegee is a play on the words “refugee” and “weegie”, affectionate slang for a Glaswegian. The charity was founded in December 2015 by Selina Hales, a Glasgow native who wanted to welcome displaced people in the city after seeing news coverage of Syrians escaping war and persecution and crossing into Europe. Glasgow has the largest refugee population in the UK outside London.
The scale and reach of charities such as Refuweegee have rapidly grown over the last few years, in part due to the rising numbers of asylum seekers but also because of the generosity and involvement of the local community. The charity has expanded to a network of more than 200 volunteers across Glasgow.
Among other services, Refuweegee provides welcome packs to people newly arrived in the city. It has supplied more than 10,000 packs, which include essentials for Glasgow such as umbrellas and gloves as well as Scottish treats such as Irn-Bru and Tunnock’s tea cakes. It also makes up little backpacks for children that include books, games and toys.
The item that makes them unique is a hand-written letter from a local Glaswegian welcoming them. It is difficult to imagine yourself alone on foreign soil without speaking the native language. The letter is a touching and connecting gesture for people in a new and often distant location. It offers a marked contrast to the anonymous protocols of the asylum system.
The charity also prepares food parcels for families and people living in hotel accommodation where no kitchen facilities are available.
One way in which they offer essentials such as toiletries and clothing is by having a “free shop”, a large space filled with donations from local people and companies. Refugees can book a slot to browse the shop and take what they want. Volunteers replenish the stock between appointments, and any gaps in supplies such as toothpaste, deodorants or nappies are often very quickly replenished by the public when a shout-out is put on to their social media accounts.
As someone with young children myself, the little packets with toys and games are a poignant way of imagining the hardship of being forcibly displaced. I have three children who have so many toys and games at home, and yet it can still feel hard to keep them entertained and content. I am reminded of the privileges of my life, the privileges that should be rights for everyone. The freedom to be comfortable, safe and fed. And to play.
The individual stories that come from the work are remarkable. It has been difficult to capture this photographically because of respect for the privacy of individuals, but hopefully I can can convey something of the care and joy that is given to people whose lives are hard to imagine; people who are trying to live on £8 a week when I have just spent that amount on parking. There are people who have saved their allowance for weeks just to be able to afford the train fare to visit Refuweegee from as far away as Aberdeen.
I talk to the volunteers at the free shop as they prepare for the next booked slot of 15 people. “One young schoolboy had left his bag on the bus. We were able to put a new schoolbag together with a pencil case. What seems small to us makes a big difference,” says Ellie as she searches for a winter coat that will fit a five-year-old. One family visiting the shop reveals that their little girl is soon to turn two. The staff are able to turn to a rail of party dresses and pick out one for her, complete with hair band and shoes.
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A mother checks to see if a dress fits her daughter and, right, Brogan entertains children while their parents browse the free shop
Refuweegee can provide art therapy for traumatised children and English classes for their parents. They are able to do this because local communities make it possible with their donations and their understanding of need.
It is also a space for people to meet, socialise and rest.
Hales told the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee last year that “space” had become one of the most essential things that Refuweegee provides, because people can be isolated in single hotel rooms for long periods.
The space they have created here feels welcoming, and I can imagine the relief that it provides for those who don’t have a place like this elsewhere in their lives.
Refuweegee is a testament to the city’s slogan: “People make Glasgow.” It makes me more optimistic witnessing the efforts of Refuweegee and the local community to support people who need and deserve it.
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Awa, a regular volunteer, with her son Abdul and, right, founder Selina Hales
Refuweegee will be taking part in Glasgow Kiltwalk 2024 on 28 April to raise funds to help people access nutritious food. Please click here to donate