THE campaign to welcome a refugee family into a Dorset town has received support with donations and positive comments.

Members of the Bridport Refugee Support Campaign (BRSC) were sharing information about their aim to bring a family to the town under the Home Office Community Sponsorship Scheme in Bucky Doo Square. They were also collecting signatures from people who would like to support the campaign in a variety of ways, including painting and decorating the house the family will live in, helping the family to improve their spoken English, taking them shopping and befriending them.

Barry Lovejoy, chairman of BRSC, said: “I was pleased to hear so many positive comments from the people of Bridport about welcoming a refugee family. Many said they had been concerned for some time about the issue and that it was great that we had taken the initiative and they wanted to know what they could do to help.”

“Bridport has a history of offering support. Several people reminded us how Bridport helped the Vietnamese boat people in the 1980s.”

Local artists - Ricky Romain, Hugh Dunford Wood, Angie Porter and Peter Loizou - were asked about their response to the refugee crisis. The images they produced were used as part of the campaign’s display in Bucky Doo Square.

Local artist Pamela Allsop had just put together her show Awakening, running in Symondsbury until October 12, inspired by the trauma faced by refugees in general, and more particularly that of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British mother held in an Iranian prison. Her pictures explore the full voyage of refugees, from leaving the dangers of their homeland, to arriving in safety. When she heard of the refugee project, she was immediately moved to donate one of her pictures to the cause, and invited campaign members Lucy Campbell and Mark Gage to come and choose which it should be.

“During the pandemic I found myself exploring the journey we are travelling together, with ideas about compassion and love as the ways through,” said Pamela. “It was obvious that what I was trying to illustrate was being vividly championed by the campaign, so the least I could do was make a donation.”

The picture, “Seeking Refuge” remains part of the show, with bids welcome, and all funds going to the campaign.

“A number of artists are supporting our project, as we try to reach the £15,000 minimum required by the government,” said Lucy Campbell. “We had tentatively thought of holding an auction of art in the spring, Covid-permitting. But Pamela’s generosity prompted us to move more quickly here, and we hope that her picture will start us well on our way – perhaps paying for the furniture a Bridport refugee would need.”

The campaign needs to raise at least £15,000 to be able to bring a family over and look after them in the first instance while they are finding their feet. Many people gave generously to the cause, including one individual’s donation of £100.

To find out more email BridportRSC@gmail.com or search for Bridport Refugee Support Campaign on Facebook.