Heart4Refugees Invited YMCA Wirral For lunch!

Published by Esmee Hauge

Our neighbours at Heart4Refugees were kind enough to cook up a storm for our team

The hospitality and warmth at Heart4Refugees is palpable. The community cooked up a storm for our team – who were keen recipients. Food is clearly more than nourishment here; it’s a welcome, a gesture of belonging, and often the first step in rebuilding a sense of safety.

Staying closely connected with Heart4Refugees is vital for us at YMCA Wirral. Homelessness is not one single story — it has many strands, and one of them is the experience of people seeking refuge in the UK. To truly understand the local landscape of homelessness, we need to understand the pressures, barriers, and vulnerabilities faced by those who arrive here after fleeing a range of circumstances.

 

YMCA Wirral team members at Heart4Refugees
Some of our team tucking in to the meal

 

Table with food cooked by the team and volunteers at Heart4RefugeesTheir amazing work

Heart4Refugees offers a lifeline: a warm, safe Drop-in Centre open three days a week, where asylum seekers and refugees can gather, rest, learn, and make friends. They run English classes, host wellbeing activities, provide homemade meals, support over 50 families, and offer home visits for antenatal mums and parents of babies and toddlers. Their team even helps people prepare for their driving theory test — a small thing on paper, but a huge step toward independence.

Many in their community have survived conflict, persecution, and dangerous journeys, only to face further prejudice once they arrive in the UK. Heart4Refugees provides the compassion, dignity, and stability that every person deserves, but not everyone receives.

Our shared hopes

There is overlap in the work our two organisations do — we each provide safety, belonging, and practical support to people who are often overlooked. But we also hold different pieces of the puzzle.

Together, our work complements each other. By staying connected, sharing knowledge, and understanding the full picture of homelessness on the Wirral, we strengthen the safety net for everyone who needs it. No single organisation can address homelessness alone — but partnerships like this ensure we can support as many people as possible.