Mentsenot Abebe, known as ‘Menty’, lives in the city after moving to the UK five months ago, fleeing war and persecution in his native Eritrea as he tries to rebuild his life in Worcester.
The 30-year-old, who is busy learning English, has already made a contribution to the community in Worcester but wants to do more.
He helps in the city’s Salvation Army shop, as a volunteer at Junior Parkrun and has even tended allotments to keep himself busy as, legally, he is not permitted to carry out paid work in the UK at the moment.
WELCOME: Mentsenot Abebe, known as ‘Menty’, and Brian Darwood, chairman of Worcester City Welcomes Refugees (Image: James Connell/Newsquest photos)
He says he may one day return to his African home, when it is safe, but at the moment he is trying to become a part of the community in Worcester and contribute as much as he can.
Menty likes to compete in Parkrun at Worcester Woods or Pitchcroft, sometimes finishing among the frontrunners. Menty has English lessons twice a week and travels by train to a Pentecostal church in Birmingham on Sundays.
Menty has a bike provided to him by Worcester City Welcomes Refugees, one of 100 given out to refugees and asylum seekers staying in the city. The aim of the charity project is to help refugees and asylum seekers explore the city and surrounding countryside and give them a sense of freedom and purpose. Some of the bikes are donated, others bought by the charity.
“It is dangerous to live in Eritrea. This is a good life. Everyone is helpful and welcoming. My first priority is to learn English and the second is I need to work. I’m very keen to work,” he said.
However, because of status as an asylum seeker, he is restricted to unpaid voluntary work.
Brian Darwood, chairman of Worcester City Welcomes Refugees, said: “We have been supplying both refugees and asylum seekers with bikes, nearly a hundred so far, but it would be great should we be offered more donations as the demand keeps increasing.
“We take donated bikes to Playground Peddlers at the Evesham Adventure Playground, a social enterprise helping the community, who refurbish them for us for a nominal fee.”
After a year Menty can apply to the Home Office for permission to work but Mr Darwood said the wait could be quite frustrating for asylum seekers who wanted to get involved in the community and to work which ‘gives them an opportunity to be more independent’.
Mr Darwood said without the bicycles life could feel even more ‘limiting’ for asylum seekers and refugees in Worcester and described the presence of so many people from different backgrounds as ‘enriching’ for the city.
He said of the project: “It gives them freedom. They can explore, particularly in the better weather, go out cycling along the canal or out into the countryside.
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“Some people are quite happy sitting inside a hotel watching television, others are keen to get out and get involved in the community.”
Menty’s interviews with the Home Office are still ongoing to see if he can win leave to remain and waiting times are improving, said Mr Darwood.
Worcester City Welcomes Refugees was registered as a charity last July but has been going in some form for the last three years, supporting Syrians fleeing conflict there and Afghans fleeing the country after the fall of Kabul.
Mr Darwood said the vast majority of asylum seekers and refugees in Worcester were ‘fleeing war and persecution’ but some were also economic migrants.