Words by Smiley Team
An award-winning charity is running floristry training programmes to support women from refugee backgrounds to rebuild their lives in the UK.
Bread and Roses launched in 2016, with programmes designed to improve people's vocational and English skills, supporting them as they settle into life in the UK.
They also give people the chance to build new networks and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of working with flowers. Their approach has even been replicated elsewhere, with sister organisations in Paris and Tel Aviv.
“Every person forced to leave their home and seek safety elsewhere faces the challenge of rebuilding their life in a new country," say the founders, Olivia Head and Sneh Jani. "The pathway to doing so will be different for each person - but for nearly everyone, it involves navigating an unfamiliar system in order to learn a new language, settle within a new community and generate a livelihood."
(Read more about these sisters who will spend winter in Calais for refugees)
Women from refugee backgrounds face particular barriers to rebuilding their lives in the UK. They're less likely, than man, to have formal work experience, and they also often find it difficult to go to English classes because of childcare responsibilities.
“On top of this, many women rebuilding their lives in the UK are also coping with the trauma of having experienced sexual or gender-based violence," say the founders. "Bread & Roses exists to support women to overcome these barriers.”
The charity is providing grants to organisations who want to deliver one of their programmes and support refugee and asylum seeking women in their local community.
“We give people the chance to show their solidarity with the women we support by ordering our flowers and helping us fund our work," they say.
“By ordering your flowers from Bread & Roses, you are funding programmes that give women an opportunity to develop critical skills, helping them as they rebuild their lives in the UK.”
(Read more about Give Your Best, which is empowering refugees)
Additionally, Bread & Roses is a sustainable florist as well, only ever using British-grown flowers and recyclable packaging.
One refugee from Ghana, said: “I love working with the plants, particularly calming lavender and stimulating eucalyptus. But I also learned social skills like networking, working as a team and not being afraid to ask for help.
“I was already interested in floristry, but I’ve never been green-fingered so I didn’t think I’d have the skills. Building my knowledge, and being prepared to make mistakes and learn from them, has made me realise that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and have the right support network around you.”
Since launching, they have worked with over 100 refugee and asylum-seeking women, and partnered with seven businesses to give participants the opportunity to complete voluntary work placements.
Through boosting their wellbeing, helping them to settle into a local community, improving their English and informing participants about local and national services for support, they help set refugees up for success.
You can find out more and shop on the Bread & Roses website.
