We provide respite breaks in rural Gloucestershire for people seeking sanctuary - asylum seekers, refugees and survivors of trafficking and torture. Sanctuary seekers and volunteer ‘hosts’ enjoy time together at Hill House in the Cotswolds: cooking and eating, walking in the wonderful countryside or working together in the garden or on a creative activity with lots of time for rest, chat and relaxation. Daily experience in the city for anyone without basic security is hard. People who have fled conflict or persecution in their country of origin can often feel anxious and overwhelmed by the difficulty of securing protection in the UK. If granted refugee status it is still a struggle to settle in to a strange culture and a new country that can sometimes be unwelcoming or actively hostile. The beauty of the Cotswold countryside, of Hill House and its garden, allows friends to relax and feel at home, and to reconnect with more peaceful times in their lives. After a few days here, visitors return rested and resourced for the next stage of their journey.
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Help our guests build confidence and community by building a Clay Bread Oven together
Inspired by recent artistic activities, we’ve decided to take part in the Stroud Site Festival this spring, when we can welcome visitors to Hill House and showcase our work.
We’re going to make a Clay Bread Oven, and we need your help to make this happen.
6 guests from local refugee support charities will work together over a weekend to build the oven. The project will be led by local refugee artist, Sam Mukumba, a renowned ceramicist with lived experience of flight as a refugee within Uganda. He will also be showcasing his work at Hill House throughout the Festival weekends.
The total cost of this art project will be £2,000, including £1,000 for materials and a fee to Sam, the workshop leader. We’ll be building the oven in May so please help us to raise the money we need before the end of April.
By supporting this project, you will be helping a group of local refugees to take part in an activity that will boost their mental well-being and self confidence and help them briefly forget about the traumas they have experienced and the on-going challenges they face. Making and sharing bread together is a great way to build community and learn new skills, not only for our Festival Team, but for guests participating in Sanctuary Breaks at Hill House for many years to come.
A bit more about Sanctuary Breaks
Our charity has grown out of Hill House, a much-loved family home, which our founding member inherited and started offering as a venue for respite breaks for clients of refugee support organisation
Connection to the Community
Activities during these breaks focus on connection to the community by involving immediate neighbours in Amberley and the wider Stroud District community; allowing a re-connection with the land through working together in the gardens and guided walks in the surrounding countryside; and re-gaining self-esteem and self-confidence through skills sharing (e.g., cooking; crafts; music) and engaging with members of local communities.
Opportunities to experience the joy and relaxation of simple, nature-based activities, while building a sense of community
We've partnered with Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers to allow us to better reach and serve those in need and have welcomed guests from numerous countries including: Afghanistan, Colombia, Eritrea, Nigeria, Syria, Venezuela and Russia. Participants have had the chance to relax and de-stress through:
- home-cooked meals and shared lunches
- village walk and nature explorations
- kite-flying, music making and singing
- crafts, gardening and art activities
- tea, cake and good conversation