Weekend Club
Recognising that the wellbeing of refugees in Scotland is a concern shared across diverse faith and belief communities, in 2015, we established the Weekend Club as an intentionally interfaith response to the social isolation of refugees.
Glasgow is home to more asylum seekers than anywhere else in the UK. Often newcomers arrive here with little or no money, poor English, and suffering the effects of trauma. Many individuals and families find themselves extremely isolated, especially at the weekends when refugee services tend not to operate. The Weekend Club tackles this isolation and aids integration by working with a team of volunteers from diverse faith and belief communities to organise free monthly events for newcomers, usually in collaboration with other organisations and often hosted in partnership with faith communities. Weekend Club events are designed to help people from refugee backgrounds build social connections, enjoy fun activities and a good meal, get to know Glasgow and Scotland better, practise their English informally, and develop an appreciation of religious and cultural diversity as a positive aspect of contemporary Scottish life.
I feel like I have met a big family for the first time in the UK 
Since 2015, over 500 ‘New Scots’ from more than 20 countries have participated in Weekend Club events – each for about 50 people – where they have engaged in interfaith and intercultural learning and been introduced to aspects of Scottish culture, civic life, and places of natural beauty and historic interest. Many participants have told us that Weekend Club events have brightened their lives and helped them to feel part of their city.
The model of refugee integration the Weekend Club embodies is one which aids interfaith and intercultural integration at every stage in the process, from planning through to delivery, and promotes a vision of the UK as somewhere where diversity is valued and where people from different backgrounds can cooperate for the common good. As well as benefitting newcomers, this practical interfaith cooperative action benefits the receiving community in so far as it fosters constructive contact – and fellow-feeling – with refugees and new migrants and a sense of solidarity and common purpose with people from other backgrounds.
We loved this event! My son has a something to say at show and tell on Monday now
Refugees and new migrants are welcome to reclaim travel expenses (for physical events) or data-reimbursement (for online events). Most events are open to both newcomers and anyone within the receiving community who wishes to come along and help offer a warm Glasgow welcome!
If you are interested in finding out more about the Weekend Club, becoming a volunteer, or hosting a Weekend Club event within your community, please get in touch:
Email us on: weekendclub@interfaithglasgow.org
Call us on: 07511 044814 (Weekend Club mobile)
And if you would like to make a donation to support the Weekend Club specifically, there’s an option to do so when you click the ‘donate’ button. Your support is very much appreciated.
Reminds us we got all it takes to make it through hard times
