ACH to host The Welcome Party this autumn, celebrating refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Bristol's workforce

ACH, the Bristol-founded provider for refugee and migrant integration services, is hosting a very special event at The Mount Without in central Bristol this autumn.

Titled The Welcome Party, the event invites businesses from across South West England to hear, see and literally taste the positive impact that refugees, people seeking asylum and vulnerable migrants have on Bristol, as well as the UK more widely. 

The Welcome Party will be an evening of dinner, drinks and entertainment. The drinks reception will feature artisan non-alcoholic rose cordial created by a group of refugee women alongside traditional cocktails, and dinner will comprise a taster menu of meals created by ACH refugee and migrant catering businesses, including homemade cuisine from countries such as Sudan, Egypt and Sri Lanka. 

Image: ACH

The evening's entertainment will be made up of keynote speeches from inspirational refugee success stories, as well as music and poetry from across the world. Olympic gold medallist Sir Mo Farah, who was trafficked to the UK aged nine in the aftermath of the Isaaq massacre in his birthplace of Somaliland, will also be interviewed on-stage at the event. His story is an archetypal example of the successes possible for migrants in this country. 

ACH provides tailored integration services for refugees and migrants in the UK. Its services include housing, training and business support, providing people who have come to the UK with the best possible start to life in a new country. 

Through the event, ACH seeks to provide support not only to the refugees and migrants they currently work with, but also for Bristol City of Sanctuary, a charity that advocates for a fair and humane asylum system. Profit from the event will partly be donated to the charity to continue its essential work. 

Fuad Mahamed, CEO at ACH, said: “The Welcome Party is an opportunity for us to build our partnerships with key stakeholders. We expect the event to sell out and be a huge success, which will then provide the basis for a larger scale event and more fundraising in the following year. We can’t wait to welcome attendees to join us in supporting refugees and migrants, and helping us to build a better, brighter future across the city and beyond.”

Image: Houria Bristol 

The funding secured by ACH allows the organisation to continue its work in empowering migrants and refugees who reside in the UK to lead self-sufficient and ambitious lives through the provision of supported accommodation and tailored integration services.

ACH offers practical training and career development opportunities, helping 12,500 into employment and supporting more than 1,000 entrepreneurs to date, thereby supporting social and economic development in South West England. 

Tickets for the event are on sale now and start from £140 per individual seat. Businesses are encouraged to buy a table for the event, to bring employers together to develop their understanding and appreciation of what migrants and refugees bring to the UK workforce. 

Tickets are highly limited, and can be purchased at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ach/1255157.