A concert to raise funds for the Trust is to be held at St Joseph's Church, Mt Victoria, on Sunday 11 December 2011 at 3pm. The SMP Ensemble are graduates from the New Zealand School of Music who will play a wide variety of instruments including clarinet, harp, piano and strings, and several talented young guest players will play accordion and flute. The concert will include pieces by Psathas and Dvorak, and there will be an amazing young singer. The programme celebrates family and nature in interesting and beautiful ways. Tickets cost $25 ($15 children and students). To book tickets, please telephone Wellington Refugees as Survivors on 04 805 0350.
The Refugee Family Reunification Trust was recently featured on the National Program's Nine to Noon radio show:
"Amanda Calder is a former lawyer and chair of Refugee Family Reunification Trust - she received the QSM in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours. Ranka Margetic-Sosa, orginally from Bosnia, is a registered psychotherapist who works with refugees."
In December 2010, Te Papa Tongarewa selected the Trust as the charity to receive the gifts donated to it at Christmas time. A beautiful Christmas tree was set up in Te Papa's foyer, and a wonderful number of presents soon accumulated under the tree! It gave us a great deal of pleasure to deliver these gifts to refugee families throughout Greater Wellington. Those families came to New Zealand from as far away as Burma, Afghanistan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Colombia. They were all surprised and delighted to receive these gifts, and the children in particular were very excited and happy. Our sincere appreciation to all those who donated gifts to Te Papa - your kindness and generosity gave a great deal of happiness to some of the least fortunate in our community.