The refugees are welcome home!

9 Goodgymers helped their local community in Brighton
Juliet O'Brien
Amro
Rob Ward
STEFANIA ROSSO
Carla Washbourne
Philippa
Sarah Katharine
Jane Dallaway
1 / 14
Brighton

Tuesday 20th June 2023

Credits
Juliet O'Brien
Juliet O'Brien

WALK LEADER

Amro
Amro

PHOTOGRAPHER

REPORT WRITER

Brighton runner

PHOTOGRAPHER

STEFANIA ROSSO
STEFANIA ROSSO

SESSION ORGANISER

PHOTOGRAPHER

Philippa
Philippa

BACK MARKER

WALK LEADER

PHOTOGRAPHER

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Report written by Amro

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As part of Brighton & Hove TAKEPART Festival of Active Living, Brighton Goodgymmers participated in a group session organised jointly by our friends from Brighton Table Tennis Club, Real Junk Food Project and the Catholic Parish of East Brighton at the Fitzherbert Community Hub.

Thirteen of the best Brighton Goodgym gang showed up and we welcomed not one, not two but three first time participants: Majed, Nick and Irene.

The session also falls on Refugee Week a festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Brighton Table Tennis Club (BTTC) has become a Club of Sanctuary, welcoming refugees and asylum seekers since 2016 and Brighton Goodgym has always had members very passionate about supporting people from all backgrounds and participating in events and walks welcoming refugees and others to our lovely city.

Personally speaking as a third generation refugee; someone who was born with a piece of paper instead of a passport as a form of identity I think sometimes we tend to forget what the word Refugee means. Refugee is defined as a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. But the definition tends to forget the human tragedy that comes with the fact that a human is called 'Refugee'.

Being a refugee means that somehow you no longer have a home but at the same time everywhere is home!

You are welcomed by many but the voices of those who dont want you are louder.

Governments don't know what to do with you, it feels like wherever you go you carry with you oversized luggage that exceeds the 'allowed' limit.

If you are having too much fun in your new 'home' you feel guilty because of those who couldn't have the same opportunity, if you end up closing up on yourself to heal your wounds then you are labelled as anti-social and failing to integrate in the society.

You do your best to learn the language of your new home but when you do you realise that you missed out on a history of social references that you have no idea about. Like what is Eurovision? Who is Kate Bush? What is Rhubarb? and dont get me started on sayings and expressions, when I first heard 'The Writing on the Wall' I was looking around to see who and where they scribbled on the wall!

But then when you take a moment and look around you and see your fellow Goodgym people in their red Goodgym tshirts playing table tennis, laughing and feeling jolly after they have completed the voluntary session of sweeping, cleaning and weeding...you realise...that you are home...Brighton is home :)


This task supported
Brighton Table Tennis Club
At BTTC, equality means that not every player gets the same, but every player gets what they need.

Brighton Table Tennis Club prioritises working with people who have least access but would benefit most from playing and being part of the BTTC community.

See more

Discuss this report
John Shirley

Wed 21st Jun 2023 at 4:44pm

Great report Amro

Join us on our next session

Brighton

Helping The Moulsecoomb Primary School
🗓Tuesday 2nd September 6:15pm

Provide support to an award winning primary school and community learning hub

+3
Jorge MayorgaMauricio GarciaOlivia EdwardsJane DallawayPhilippa
8 GoodGymers are going