NEWS & BLOG

The West London Welcome Lived Experience Advisory Board comprises twelve community members of West London Welcome, all of whom have lived experience of seeking asylum in the UK and are at various different stages of the asylum process. The Board influences and shapes decision-making at West London Welcome, contributes to service delivery, and co-produces activities that meet the real needs of the community. Advisory Board members are all deeply embedded in the community and come to the West London Welcome community centre on a regular basis, to participate in social activities, for classes, for advice and support, or to volunteer. The Board offers a forum to raise emerging concerns affecting the wider community or members’ personal lives, ensuring that lived experience continues to inform our work at West London Welcome. 

The growth of lived experience groups in the refugee sector

Groups supporting refugees are increasingly recognising lived experience as a form of expertise and experimenting with how to share power in more genuine ways within their organisations. Many have moved from consulting refugee community members on an ad-hoc basis to embedding people with lived experience in advisory roles. A 2023 sector survey found that around 80% of NGOs in the refugee and migrant sector now involve people with lived experience in service design and delivery. Several other charities doing frontline work such as Action for Refugees in Lewisham, the South London Refugee Association and RAMFEL  have established advisory or ‘experts by experience’ groups made up of people with refugee or migration experience, who advise on strategies, services, policies and advocacy. This trend is working towards greater inclusion, influence, and organisational transformation rather than occasional input from the people most impacted by decisions. 

Building an Advisory Board through trust and over time

Our Advisory Board is now essential to the work of the charity. It brings about meaningful lived-experience involvement, not just engagement at the margins, and challenges the top-down dynamics people face in asylum and resettlement processes. Groups like ours shift migrants from being positioned primarily as service recipients to being recognised as experts and decision-shapers.

Many of our Advisory Board members have been part of the community for several years and engage in a variety of ways and at different rhythms. A number are present at the centre throughout the week, volunteering in the kitchen, leading fitness sessions, attending English classes, or taking part in the weekly book club, while others contribute through regular trips and other activities. All have been supported by West London Welcome through the asylum process as they navigate life in the UK. Over time, we on the Advisory Board have built strong relationships with fellow community members, staff, and volunteers, contributing to a deep sense of trust and belonging.

Every few months, we gather around the largest table we can find at the centre. After sharing a delicious meal prepared by refugee volunteers and taking time to reconnect, we begin our discussions. Meetings include checking in on issues raised previously, reviewing actions taken, and considering whether concerns have been resolved or require further attention. Members highlight positive developments and improvements, and discuss new ideas or opportunities for growth. Through open discussion and shared reflection, we identify priorities and areas needing improvement in a way that is grounded in care and collective responsibility.

Advisory Board member, Angela: 

A while ago, I received an invitation to join the Advisory Board at West London Welcome. I felt at ease and, above all, genuinely listened to. Having a space where people seeking asylum and refugees can speak openly about the challenges we face is extremely valuable, not only to share our lived realities but also to contribute to practical solutions. The group provides a platform to develop ideas aimed at addressing these challenges. Our input is translated into meaningful action through the work done at West London Welcome.

I recently collaborated on an initiative focusing on El Salvador. As a Salvadoran community member and refugee, it was important that I was consulted on, and wrote parts of this deep-dive. Similarly, Karla wrote about her experience of the River clean of the Thames. We were also consulted on the recent West London Welcome mythbusting document created to combat misinformation about migration. This came from our concern about public discourse surrounding migrants and refugees, and our need to be heard. Seeing the campaign shared on social media was deeply rewarding. We’re shaping messages that have a positive impact on refugees around the world.

I hope this group continues to grow and to develop new plans for the future. I truly believe that we have strong potential!

Advisory Board member, Abdul:

I have been attending Advisory Board meetings since they began. It’s a great way to make sure this centre and the wonderful work done here is as helpful as possible to as many of our community members as possible. We discuss all kinds of  problems or barriers that people seeking asylum, refugees and migrants may be dealing with. From our experience in asylum accommodation, the food we eat, personal issues, what we do here at the West London Welcome centre and how we can make the centre more accessible and suitable for everyone, no topic is off the cards!

I feel so safe here because we all respect each other’s views. This makes me feel like my opinion matters.

Our meetings are always informative. I learn something from each discussion and I’m sure others learn from me too. It is rare to have access to spaces where we can share these thoughts. For example, a lot of us felt that the food in the asylum accommodation was not very nutritious, and we agreed that West London Welcome’s food bank was something we relied on regularly to solve this issue. Other members wanted to collaborate on some media content. Sure enough, their simple idea was realised and posted across our social media platforms. 

Recently, we discussed the idea of visiting other charities similar to ours, sharing ideas with their members and seeing what they are up to. Maybe we can learn from other communities the way we are learning amongst each other here in our own community. I’m always excited to see what kind of new opportunities we can do together.

We’ll continue to maintain this safe environment and tackle everything together in the future.

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Angela and Abdul are members of West London Welcome’s Advisory Board.

Nita is a Communications and Administration Officer at West London Welcome.

Image 2-5 credits: Farzana Wahidy