Refugee Week
As the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, we welcome those fleeing violence and persecution in their own countries and protect the rights of all migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
We offered small grants of up to £750 to support people living or working in Lewisham as well as local organisations to develop their own activities and events in their local community to celebrate Refugee Week. We are delighted to have been able to fund 11 projects across a range of activities.
The winning projects were selected by a Small Grants Panel consisting of three Council officers.
Refugee Week local events
Planting with a Story
- Saturday 14 June, 11am-1pm
- St Mary's Therapeutic Garden London SE13 6LW
- book free ticket
Join us for a therapeutic gardening session. You will be planting houseplants in hand-decorated pots—each symbolising new roots and personal growth—while enjoying practical tips from a local gardener on houseplant care and British gardening traditions. The event also includes a storytelling circle, offering space for sharing personal stories of resilience and new beginnings through the lens of nature. All tools provided.
Family Sports Day
- Saturday 14 June, 11am-4pm
- Ladywell Fields Park
- free, no need to book
Join us for a joyful day of games, shared meals and cultural exchange. With traditional sports, fun relay races, and a communal food party featuring dishes from around the world, the event celebrates the experiences and contributions of people seeking sanctuary. Sanctuary seekers will lead the event: sharing childhood games, preparing food, and welcoming guests.
Plateful Café Community Meal
- Saturday 14 June, 1-5pm
- Telegraph Hill Centre Kitto Rd SE14 5TY
- book free ticket
Join us for a three-course Syrian meal prepared by Refugee chefs. Plateful Café connects refugees and local people through a shared love of good food. Ran by a team of dedicated volunteers, Plateful Café aims to supply refugees with the necessary skills to confidently enter the UK’s workforce.
Stories in Our Hands
- Sunday 15 June, 4-6pm
- Hatcham House 367 Queen's Rd London SE14 5HD
- book free ticket
Join us for a hands-on creative session. Together, we’ll sculpt clay characters, bring them to life, and weave our creations into a collective story. This therapeutic, art-based workshop offers a safe and supportive space to explore imagination, emotions, and connection with others. Come and discover how storytelling and creativity can help us understand each other, heal, and feel at home.
Bags of Hope
- Sunday 15 June, 4-6pm
- Hatcham House 367 Queen's Rd London SE14 5HD
- book free ticket
Join us for an art project in which refugees from different countries and local residents paint eco-bags using traditional Ukrainian Petrykivka arts. The goal is to create a safe, creative space for cultural exchange, emotional expression, and community building. The project empowers sanctuary seekers by engaging them as artists and leaders, helping them feel seen, confident, and connected.
Transition Living Lab Project Exhibition
- Monday 16 June-Saturday 21 June, 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Saturday
- The Library at Deptford Lounge, 9 Giffin Street, SE8 4RJ
- free no need to book
Join us for the exhibition on the social design project steered and by refugees and migrants in the local area, asking the question “what one thing would you change about the world?"
Goldsmiths and Lewisham Libraries Research Café: Refugee Week
- Wednesday 18 June, 12-1pm
- The Library at Deptford Lounge, 9 Giffin Street, SE8 4RJ
- book free ticket
Join us for short informal lunchtime talks from Katya Griffin, Lewisham Council Borough of Sanctuary Programme Manager, Dr Pamela Odih (I-n-I Roots, Globally Local Celebrating the Strands of Deptford) and Dr Marina Rova (Mapping the lived experience of migration through embodied autoethnography). Refreshments are provided and we invite questions and discussion from the floor.
Inua Ellams: Anonyms
- Wednesday 18 June, 6.30-8.30pm
- Goldsmiths University of London, Richard Hoggart Building, Great Hall, Lewisham Way, SE14 6NW.
- cost £3-£15, book tickets
An evening with the internationally acclaimed poet, playwright, performer and cross disciplinary artist Inua Ellams (Barber Shop Chronicles, Three Sisters, The Half-God of Rainfall) who will be delivering a special edition of Anonyms, a vibrant guided exploration into our names, and the stories they birth. Inua will be joined by a panel of guests alongside established artists and thinkers.
Community Picnic: Tastes of Lewisham
- Thursday 19 June, 10am-1pm
- Meeting point: Blackheath Common, near St John’s Church. In case of rain, event will move to Age Exchange, 11 Blackheath Village, SE3 9LA
- free, no need to book
You’re warmly invited to our Community Picnic on Blackheath to celebrate Refugee Week 2025 through food, storytelling, and shared experiences at a joyful gathering of residents, families, and friends. Everyone is encouraged to bring a traditional dish from their culture and, if they feel comfortable, share the story behind it. It’s a beautiful way to connect across cultures and honour the journeys that have brought us together. Please bring a picnic blanket or something to sit on but we will also provide plenty of blankets for those who need them
Transition Living Lab Project Showcase Refugee Week
- Thursday 19 June, 4.30-6pm
- The Library at Deptford Lounge, 9 Giffin Street, SE8 4RJ
- free, no need to book
Join us for the public showcase on Transition Living Lab, an exhibition on the social design project steered and by refugees and migrants in the local area, asking the question “what one thing would you change about the world?
Deptford Lounge Cinema Club
- Thursday 19 June, 6pm – 8pm
- The Library at Deptford Lounge, 9 Griffin Street, SE8 4RJ
- free, no need to book
Come along to the Refugee Week/Pride Month takeover of the Deptford Lounge Cinema Club: our free weekly film club held every Thursday 6:00 - 8:00pm, programmed to a new theme every month and voted for by newsletter subscribers. This week's film pulls together LGBTQ themes and issues encountered by refugees. Come into Deptford Library or sign up to the mailing list to find out what it is and what we're showing each week.
Plateful Café Community Dinner Fundraiser Community Dinner Fundraiser
- Thursday 19 June, 7pm – 10pm
- Pistachios in the Park, Hilly Fields park, Through Gate, top of Eastern Rd, SE4 1LB
- Cost £35, book ticket
Plateful Café connects refugees and local people through a shared love of good food. Ran by a team of dedicated volunteers, Plateful Café aims to supply refugees with the necessary skills to confidently enter the UK’s workforce. Join us for a fundraiser with all proceeds supporting employment for sanctuary seekers.
No Place Like Home: Refugee Stories
- Friday 20 June, 7.30-9.30pm
- The Sydenham Centre, 44a Sydenham Rd, SE26 5QX
- cost £5-£25, book ticket
Join us for a theatrical presentation created by and performed by refugees and migrants who live and work in Lewisham. Telling the true stories of how they left their homes and made a new home through theatre, storytelling, music, dance, and visual arts.
Power of Community, hosted by Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network (LRMN)
- Saturday 21 June 10am –4pm
- The Albany, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG
- free, no need to book
Join us for a vibrant, all-day celebration of Refugee Week on Saturday 21 June. With performances, choirs, family-friendly activities, delicious food, and creative workshops, this community-led takeover will fill the Albany with culture, connection, and celebration. Alongside the festivities, the day will feature educational sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, and vital Know Your Rights workshops.
PictoricBox
- Sunday 22 June 1pm-4pm
- Hatcham House 367 Queen's Rd London SE14 5HD
- book free ticket
Join us at this powerful, creative gathering where illustrated cards spark connection, storytelling, and empathy across cultures. Developed by Ukrainian artists, PictoricBox is a one-of-a-kind board game that helps sanctuary seekers and local residents share personal stories in a safe, welcoming space, regardless of language. There will be a shared lunch as part of this free event, which is open to all. There will no winners, no judgement, just stories, laughter and connection.
Taste of Home
- Sunday 22 June, 3pm-6pm
- Hatcham House 367 Queen's Rd London SE14 5HD
- free, no need to book. Donations are welcome.
Come along to a cultural cooking project celebrating superfoods from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Ukraine through workshops led by sanctuary seekers. Combining cooking, storytelling, and shared meals, it fosters cross-cultural connection, highlights refugee contributions, and culminates in a final community celebration.
For other ways to get involved, visit our Borough of Sanctuary page.