We are proud to make items that are more than beautiful. Everything we sell is made by women; mothers, daughters, sisters, aunties forced to leave their lives behind, fleeing situations of persecution, war, natural disasters and violence.
We believe in a loving welcome for each woman, to act as a tipping point towards hope and opportunity.
The message to every woman joining our team is Remember, You Are Loved. Love Welcomes is a community, a safe space where each voice and each story holds value.
The following quotes are real quotes from our team members, whose names we have left out. They signpost a familiar journey for refugee and displaced women as they step forward from trauma and begin a new chapter for themselves and their families.
For some, Love Welcomes is a first experience of work, however for others they have much experience and many skills to build on for their future.
“Before [leaving my home] I worked as a 2D & 3D graphic designer. I worked with computer software.”
“Before I arrived, I did fashion design. I am good with sewing, we would sew dresses and skirts.”
Sharing memories in a safe environment can be a cathartic process, there is value in shared stories and experiences, even painful memories in order to help move forward from the past.
“They beat me, and I was put in a hospital. I woke up there, not knowing what happened. If I did not escape, I would not be alive.”
“I left my country by foot, it took me 9 days to get to Sudan. From Sudan, I went to Egypt which took 6 months. At sea, I went 12 days with no water or food. I was 15. The Italian coast guard found us as the boat was not working for 3 days. The boys could not be patient - so they swam. A few died. The lifejacket did not save them. When the waves came, someone tried to save them but could not.”
The Love Welcomes team are survivors, they not only create our products, they inspire every piece. They have a steadfast focus on survival and creating a better life for themselves and their families.
However, a significant challenge is to survive their perilous journeys only to confront difficulties on arrival in a host-country.
“When I arrived in the UK, I was confused.”
“We are not pests, we can contribute to the community. We have good hearts. We love the UK.”
“I wish people would be encouraging and hopeful with refugees and displaced people.”
We believe in a loving welcome for those who have fled all that they know. To be welcomed with love, support, community and opportunities to put their lives back together. A loving welcome creates hope, and hope is a driving force behind a positive integration for each woman and their families.
“I am proud of who I am. I am here and chasing my dream. I hope to become an interior designer and have my own studio.”
“I want people to know that we are refugees to change our future, to get better jobs, and better hopes.”
“My hope is to accomplish an education in the future. Concentrating on my work will help my dreams come true."
"To learn skills, to get a job, to have agency creates confidence."
“Getting a job has been my greatest challenge and my greatest joy. It is the thing I am proudest of”
“The opportunity you gave us to do this work. It is really helpful for us to find a job. I have no words but to say thank you.”
With increased confidence and through a supportive community, each woman can start to believe and dream again, and step by step move on from the trauma.
“At Love Welcomes, I have a community. My favourite thing here is that people support me to achieve my dreams. They help me to have confidence and become stronger.”
“A community will help us have a sister, brother, and family you can trust. If you are alone by yourself, it brings stress. Community is the most important thing for young people.“
“Thank you Love Welcomes to give opportunity to belong to a community, you care about helping us build our future.”
Yes, we are proud to make beautiful things, but there’s so much more to it than that. We believe a loving welcome is transformational, supporting the journey from despair to hope and agency.
“To the Love Welcomes supporters, thank you so much for all your support and help. My greatest source of joy has been finding work with Love Welcomes. So far, the thing I am most proud of is finding this job.”