Welcome to our new blog page
Here we will feature posts about the work of Malvern Welcomes, together with other relevant stories and experiences.
Below is a message from our Chair, Dan Herbert. You will find a copy of this message in our December 2025 newsletter.
Message from the Chair
In a year of ever-increasing hostility to people displaced around the world, it’s been easy to be demoralised. The language around illegality and the othering of people in need just seems to feed intolerance and places more barriers to integration and understanding.
We know people do not choose to be refugees. We know asylum seeking isn’t illegal. We know that the drivers of migration are poverty, climate change, conflict and persecution.
At its core, Malvern Welcomes has a mission to support those needing to find safe homes when they have had to leave theirs. The practical actions we take address a real and growing need. The volunteers, funders, supporters and yes, even trustees all help reduce the human suffering caused by forced migration. This is great and valuable work.
Malvern Welcomes has always undertaken education work. We have run sessions in schools, for local groups and at community events. What we have not done to date is be a campaigning organisation. We had good reasons for this. Campaigning exposes our community to possible backlash from a specific section of the public. You only have to look at comments left in reply to Malvern Gazette articles concerning migration to see the risk.
At a recent planning day and at the AGM, there was discussion around whether we should be more vocal on issues. We now have experience in working with refugees and good knowledge of the complex and nuanced needs that they have as they adjust to life here. We know that successful resettlement can take place outside of large cities. Given all this knowledge, maybe it is time to be more vocal. We have recently supported a campaign by Asylum Matters https://asylummatters.org/ about the safety of more aggressive actions against people in small boats crossing the channel, and some members took part in a campaign to change the rules around asylum seekers being able to work. Linked to this, we have signed a joint letter to the government urging our leaders to work together to protect lives, not to put them at risk. This will be an ongoing debate.
The AGM was well attended, thank you to all who came along to support it. The current trustees were re-elected. Our rules also allow us to co-opt trustees onto the board. We are very keen to recruit a trustee to be our link for safeguarding matters. Thankfully, and with the careful work of the Management Team, we have faced very few safeguarding issues over the years. However, as a charity that works with vulnerable adults and children, we do need someone for this role. It should not be onerous. Again, do let me know if you are interested or can suggest someone we can approach.
This is my first newsletter article. It seems like a good time to say thank you to everyone involved in Malven Welcomes, our volunteers, supporters, those who donate, trustees and many others.
Dan Herbert, Chair of Malvern Welcomes
