AROUND 80 people have attended a meeting of the newly formed group Bromsgrove Welcomes Refugees to discuss ways in which the town can react to incoming Syrian families.

The meeting at St Peter’s Church Hall, saw residents from local churches, schools, and Muslim and Arabic communities from across the Bromsgrove district, as well as Northfield and Rednal, and several members for the local Equality and Diversity Forum.

The group is busy designing a website, and several people provided offers of help in teaching English, befriending the new arrivals, or donating furniture or bedding. BDHT is in the process of identifying properties which could be used to house refugees, and the empty library building and council offices have been suggested as possible locations to store furniture, although the group is looking for further suitable places.

John Cochrane from the group, said: “The big question on everyone’s lips was, when is this going to happen – how soon can we welcome some of these very vulnerable people from the refugee camps and how many will the council agree to take? We understand that it is up to 12 or 15 families. Will they all arrive at once, or gradually? Many other authorities are making offers now also.”

The group agreed to write to Bromsgrove District and Worcestershire County councillors urging them to accept some refugees before winter, and people were asked to write to Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid to ask him to put pressure on the Government to secure five years funding.

Any offers of help can be sent to info@bromsgrovewelcomesrefugees.uk. The group will be holding its next meeting on Wednesday, January 20 at St Peter’s Church Hall from 8pm.