The Belpech Trust: helping people build new lives
Charles Bland, chair of the Belpech Trust, discusses the organisation’s commitment to support forcibly displaced people to build new lives.
On 22 April 2015, Breaking Barriers’ constitution was signed. Our founder, Matt Powell, was joined by a small, brave and visionary group of donors. United by a mission to help refugees gain meaningful employment and build new lives.
Ten years on, our staff, volunteers and partners have supported 3560 people on their employment journeys. We’ve celebrated 3054 times as our clients have entered volunteering placements, education opportunities and jobs. But, with demand for our services growing, our work is not done.
To mark our 10th anniversary, we’re asking all those who share the belief in a better future for refugees to join our Breaking Barriers, Building Futures campaign.
Together, we can begin the next 10 years as we mean to continue. Helping more refugees achieve meaningful employment. Transforming the lives of those who’ve faced the unimaginable. And making our workplaces, our communities and our society more inclusive and equitable places to be.
Breaking Barriers has really hit a psychological nail on the head in terms of identifying work as the principal way that people rebuild shattered lives. They can do so with dignity and respect. There is nothing like work to give you a sense of place, of purpose, of belonging.
Juliet Stevenson, Breaking Barriers ambassador
