At the beginning of 2020, Edinburgh City Mission expanded its work among the most vulnerable in our city to encompass refugees and asylum seekers through our Salaam Ministry.
Salaam is Arabic for ‘peace,’ ‘welcome’ and ‘hello’. In the Bible the equivalent Hebrew word, Shalom, paints a picture of harmony, completion and wholeness; the state of the world as the loving Creator intended it.
Our prayer for our refugee friends and neighbours is that they find safety, peace, and the wholeness that comes from knowing that we are loved by our Heavenly Father.
Below are some key ministries and courses within the Salaam network. Get in touch to find out more!
English Conversation Café
Our weekly café, run in partnership with Mustard Seed Church, began in response to agencies expressing the need for
community-based English classes due to the increase of New Scots arriving in the city. Through this project, we hope for our guests to have increased confidence, decreased isolation, and more opportunities to build connections with others in their new communities.
Email Lydia to find out more – lydia@edinburghcitymission.org.uk.
Befriending Programme
Our Salaam Befriending Scheme welcomes New Scots by providing 1-to-1 connections with local volunteer befrienders. Each friendship looks different depending on the needs of the befriendee, but all are centred on offering friendship, practical help and support to the New Scots in our city. These relationships become key to building strong connections in the wider community and to realising their full potential.
A befriender can take the time to talk with a New Scot, invite them along to a family dinner or simply for a coffee. All of which leads to what New Scots have said they need: a chance to practice English, to understand their new community, and to feel like they belong.
If you’d like to volunteer as a befriender, please contact Fiona – fchristie@edinburghcitymission.org.uk.
Peaced Together
Peaced Together is a creative arts course for New Scot women that encourages participants to reflect on their lives and set out on a personal journey to hope. Each craft encourages a discussion of topics such as beauty, thankfulness, peace with the past and positive choices.
The Creative English version is for women who don’t have English as a first language, incorporating English practice in a creative and fun way.
For more information about when and where the course is running, please email Lydia – lydia@edinburghcitymission.org.uk.
English Conversation Class
During the summer, we offer a fun and friendly online English conversation group for New Scot women. The sessions use an embodied approach to language practice, incorporating games, drama, videos, and real-life scenarios to learn vocabulary in a fun and practical way.
Email Lydia to find out more – lydia@edinburghcitymission.org.uk.
Newcomer Welcome
In Autumn 2021, Salaam and Christians from 8 partner churches organised and coordinated events and activities for Afghan families who arrived temporarily in Edinburgh. We hope to continue the welcome for new families and individuals who might be living in Edinburgh temporarily or in a more permanent basis.
New Scots Christmas Hampers
This year, 260 Christmas hampers were distributed to New Scots across Edinburgh. They were given to refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and people with insecure immigration status, from at least 29 different countries. Each hamper was delivered by church volunteers as a symbol of welcome, love and solidarity.
Our prayer is that in the face of difficult circumstances, global conflict, and hostile immigration laws, these hampers will bring something of God’s light and love into the lives of the individuals who receive them.
If you would like to contribute to this initiative or get involved, please email Lydia – lydia@edinburghcitymission.org.uk.
The Weekend Club
The Weekend Club is a fun monthly activity hosted by churches throughout Edinburgh for New Scots. Our aim is to create a safe and relaxed atmosphere where friendships can begin and grow, and where New Scots and their host communities can learn from each other’s cultures. It is a fantastic way for churches to get a taste of what is like to share God’s love and welcome with their New Scots neighbours.
To find out more, please email our office – office@edinburghcitymission.org.uk.
Salaam Prayer Meetings
Salaam Prayer Meetings are prayer gatherings in which we ask God for peace and protection for people who live in the midst of war, violence, poverty, climate change, etc. and for the situation of asylum seekers and refugees in Edinburgh, in the UK, and in the world. We meet five times a year and would be delighted for you to join us.
To be included in our mailing list, please email Natalia – natalia@edinburghcitymission.org.uk.
Over and over again, the Bible commands us to love and care for all, in particular the widow, the orphan, and the immigrant. Salaam’s goal is to help Churches fulfill their calling of holy hospitality towards our refugee and asylum-seeking friends, and to share God’s love through all our words and deeds.
We continue to support some of our new neighbours through our Foodbanks+, Clothesbank+, and other Edinburgh City Mission ministries.