Refugee Action Colchester

The project helped to facilitate better mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing for very isolated people in temporary accommodation. Due to Covid-19 procedures refugees and asylum seekers had to quarantine on arrival within their rooms of the temporary accommodation. Due to the location, it wasn’t easy for them to discover the local area or socialise outside. Therefore, residents spent a significant amount of time in their rooms with nothing to do, negatively affecting their mental wellbeing as a result.

The voluntary organisation wanted to provide a timetable of activities in which the participants could access over the course of the week, for 12 weeks from Jan - end of March 2022.

Although language was a barrier between participants, as the asylum seekers were from different countries, the opportunity to leave the hotel and take part in the activities helped improve their physical and mental health.