Unity in Diversity believes that refugees are welcome here. Seeking asylum is a fundamental human right, which is currently under threat. We are appalled by the government’s plan to forcibly deport people seeking sanctuary to Rwanda. Banning those crossing the Channel from claiming asylum is a breach of international laws, and together we are raising our voices in solidarity with asylum seekers, and we want you to join us! 

As part of the Together With Refugees campaign, we helped to Fill The Skies With Hope. Unity in Diversity members made orange heart-shaped paper planes displayed at Oxfam Swansea to show our support.

Unity in Diversity is proud to announce that the popular morning English classes for beginners have returned! The classroom doors re-opened for the first time again on the 8th of September 2022.

Classes closed at the beginning of the summer because Shawn left to chase her dreams after finishing her degree at Swansea University.

Here is the updated poster of our services at this time:

Come along to one of our meetings on Thursday, enjoy a warm meal and discussions with fellow community members.

Members of UiD and their friends got an opportunity to enjoy a relaxing Saturday morning at Women’s Pampering Day organised by Saba. This meet-up at the Glynn Vivian provided free manicures, pedicures, nail art, and special make-up sessions for all the female members of UiD who signed up for the event.
Ladies enjoyed a relaxing morning chatting and getting pampered by trained professionals. Colourful nails were getting painted by nail art specialists.

A little bit of pain was experienced through the eyebrow threading technique which included using a thin, doubled, cotton thread twisted to make a figure 8 and which was then rolled over the areas of unwanted hair which plucks the hair at the follicle level.

Just like our necks, backs, and shoulders, our feet can also benefit from regular rubdowns! Foot massages improve circulation, stimulate muscles, might reduce tension, and often ease the pain.

Hazle, one of the ladies and volunteers present at the event said: ‘It was fun …and pleasantly cool! Next on in the autumn, don’t miss out!’ Keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of the next one!

As many of our long-term members know, Unity in Diversity runs a clothing bank in Sketty.  All items donated to the clothing bank are sorted and then delivered to members by UiD’s amazing volunteers and volunteer drivers. UiD still tries to reach out to its members either individually by asking what they need or utilises the private chat where members can express what they need or pick from options available at the moment.

However, recently UiD’s Clothing Bank has branched out! Members who attend Thursday meetings can browse through a collection of clothes, toys, and other items at The York Place Baptist Church from 4.15pm to 5.45pm by signing up at the door. Only members who signed up for an appointment are allowed to venture upstairs and browse through the selection of goods. 

This smaller Clothing Bank at The York Place Baptist Church is run by our amazing volunteers: Tolu, Shahee, Drita, Drakshan, and Katy. A big thank you goes to all the ladies for keeping up the hard work!

Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity, and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Through a programme of arts, cultural, sports, and educational events alongside media and creative campaigns, Refugee Week enables people from different backgrounds to connect.

The theme of Refugee Week 2022 was ‘Healing’, and members of UiD alongside trustees and volunteers celebrated with a trip to Port Eynon in collaboration with other Swansea-based charities.

UiD decided to approach the theme of ‘Healing’ and connect it with the healing abilities that nature can have on us and organised a trip to Port Eynon!. Port Eynon, is a village and community with the Swansea and is the most southerly point on Gower. Despite the sad weather, the group enjoyed a tour of the remains of the Port Eynon Castle as well as a visit to Salt House and Smuggles’s cave.

Whether it’s about looking after ourselves and each other at difficult times, overcoming political divisions, coming together to fight for the survival of our shared beautiful planet, healing matters to all of us. It can be hard to heal from trauma. Art, creativity, community, and nature can help us find peace in ourselves and guide us through the hard times. And for refugees, healing can be about finding safety in a new community and making new memories in the place they found themselves to be in. UiD members took it upon themselves to combine nature and art, and created beach art!

Staying connected with friends and family, introducing innovative ways of learning, and creating new ways of expressing yourself are just a few advantages of social media and the internet that we enjoy on daily basis.

Follow these tips to safely enjoy social media:

1. Learn about and use the privacy and security settings on social media
2. Protect your reputation on social media. Don’t forget: Once posted, always posted.
3. Be cautious about how much personal information you provide on social media. Follow the rule: Keep personal information personal.
4. Use your personal profile for only friends you know and trust. Know and manage your friends.
5. Report anything that makes you uncomfortable. Know what action to take if someone is making you uncomfortable, harassing pr threatening you.  Follow the REMOVE, BLOCK, REPORT rule.

Make sure you also protect the device you are using:

• Use a strong password.
• Use a different password for each of your social media accounts
• Set up your security answers.
• Password protect your devices.

Read more here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/social-media-how-to-use-it-safely

Come along to one of our meetings and meet the amazing Hazle.

Hazle has turned into our resident librarian. Thanks to her Unity in Diversity now has a ‘Books to Borrow’ service with books tailored to low-level learners.  It is highly motivating for foreign language learners to discover that they can read in English and that they enjoy it. For this reason, it is essential that the books are interesting to students and at a level appropriate to their reading ability. If students find the books compelling and interesting and can understand them, they may become more eager readers. Books provided by Hazle have been adapted by avoiding using difficult grammar and vocabulary for people learning a foreign language.

Since it is a borrowing service you will be asked to sign in with your details and return the book within two weeks. If you don’t finish it in two weeks, you can renew it by informing Hazle.

So, come along one Thursday to see what books are waiting for you! We have classics like Sherlock Holmes, romance novels and more just waiting for you to read.