A Glasgow refugee charity has been given free working space for six months at a city-centre hotel following a social media campaign.
Refuweegee was nominated for the opportunity by the local community, who were asked by YOTEL to suggest charities and non-profit organisations who could use the facilities.
The charity, which supports people arriving in the city who have been forcibly displaced, will be able to use the private meeting space in the hotel’s VEGA rooftop bar and restaurant to help further its work.
Founder Selina Hales said: “As a community-led charity, Refuweegee aims to welcome Glasgow’s newest arrivals with our city’s famous warm embrace, whether this is through a welcome letter, essential items and food packs or visiting our brand new Refuweegee Shop.
“We’re delighted that the local community in Glasgow submitted Refuweegee as a charity for YOTEL Glasgow to invite into their meeting space and we’re excited to use this opportunity to further our work over the next six months.”
Refuweegee aims to enable the local community to extend the friendly welcome Glasgow is renowned for through welcome packs, events and volunteer opportunities,
It currently sends out around 50 clothing packs per week to families around the city, reaching so far this year over 1000 people with support packages.
The charity has recently opened their brand new Refuweegee Shop, allowing people to browse items of their own choosing, including clothing, household items, toys and food – all free of charge.
“Our shop aims to restore a level of dignity to our services, with people able to retain autonomy over the simplest things, such as the items of clothing they or their children may wear or the food they will eat,” Hales added.
“Demand for our services and support is higher than ever and we’ve seen with our recent office move how much additional space makes a difference in welcoming with dignity.”
Charity submissions were whittled down to a shortlist of five organisations spotlighted on YOTEL Glasgow’s social media channels this month, encouraging followers to explore the incredible work these non-profits are doing in their local communities.
YOTEL Glasgow’s charity shortlist also included Glasgow East Women’s Aid, AMMA Birth, Survivor Arts Community and SAY Women.
Neil Taylor, General Manager at YOTEL Glasgow, said: “We’re excited to welcome Refuweegee into our private meeting space in VEGA over the next few months, especially at such an important time for the charity.
“Refuweegee are a Glasgow institution and the work they are doing is vital to our city’s local community, so we’re thankful to be able to support them in some small way.”
Aiming to give back to their local communities, YOTEL offered an inspiring space to work and collaborate in four cities in the UK, with hotels in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow taking part.
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