What does Welkom in Utrecht do?

The Welkom in Utrecht Foundation brings refugees who live in Utrecht into contact with people from the region and vice versa. Activities are offered for, by and with refugees. This happens, among other things, in the field of language, sports and culture. In addition, activities are organised such as cooking, walking and doing odd jobs together.

‘I learned things about the culture here. If you don’t know the culture, you can face many problems.’

We dedicate ourselves to refugees who stay, sometimes for years, in reception centres and to people who, in the meantime, have received a (temporary) residence permit and live independently in Utrecht. The activities of Welkom in Utrecht help refugees to build their own network, which contributes to their independent lives. It increases the possibilities of learning the Dutch language, gaining knowledge about society and developing one’s own competencies and capacities. It also helps in finding work and gives a sense of belonging to the city of Utrecht, which is necessary in order to feel at home and to get involved in your new living environment.

Our activities also offer relaxation and distraction. This counteracts stress and negative feelings, which contributes to mental health. This is important for good integration. But even if refugees ultimately do not stay in the Netherlands, it helps them in the future if they have been able to develop further and not have to stand still. Experiences that stimulate a positive, energetic attitude are therefore necessary for their next stages of life.

Also for the inhabitants of the Utrecht region, real, personal contact with refugees is also important. It brings understanding and tolerance towards these people who may become your new neighbours. It can give you a broader and richer view of life.

‘I have found such amazing friends through the Kinderclub. It makes me feel more at home here’.

How do we do this?

For our activities, Welkom in Utrecht makes use of the great sources of creativity, strength, solidarity and organisational capacity of people and organisations from (the region of) Utrecht. Thus, refugees can (often together with other people from Utrecht) play football, canoe, mosaic, learn Dutch, dance, picnic, play games or go to yoga. They cook and eat together or go to museums or concerts together. In pairs, in groups or with another family. Most activities, we do not organise ourselves, but they come from the ideas of residents in Utrecht and the surrounding area. We often only facilitate the streamlining of ideas, the organisation of the activity and the invitation of people.

The group of refugees is extremely diverse (in terms of education, culture, age, etc.), and so are their needs. That is why we offer a wide variety of services. For example, we offer something for a low-literate farmer from Eritrea and a sophisticated artist from Yemen, for a shy elderly lady from Afghanistan and an extroverted entrepreneur from Syria. Just to name a few.

Key persons help us to build good contact with our target group. They also help us to act culturally sensitively.

The team

Iman Abrontan
Program officer
Pahud
iman@welkominutrecht.nu

Diana Abuomoghdeb
Contact officer
Pahud
diana@welkominutrecht.nu

Deema Aljumaa
Program officer
Star Lodge
deema@welkominutrecht.nu

Eline Bosch
Senior Program officer
Vlampijpstraat & Permit holders
eline@welkominutrecht.nu

Daria Cherednichenko
Activities officer
Ukrainian refugees
daria@welkominutrecht.nu

Selamawit Damite
Contact officer
Pahud
selamawit@welkominutrecht.nu

Ricky Fox
Program officer
Ukrainian refugees
ricky@welkominutrecht.nu

Hamist Habo
Activities officer
Vlampijpstraat
hamist@welkominutrecht.nu

Fatima El Kaddouri
Operations officer
fatima@welkominutrecht.nu

Elham Kaya
Program officer
Joseph Haydnlaan
elham@welkominutrecht.nu

Hellen Kooijman
Senior Program officer
Ukrainian refugees
hellen@welkominutrecht.nu

Rebecca de Kuijer
Director
rebecca@welkominutrecht.nu

Carolien Labib
Team manager
carolien@welkominutrecht.nu

Marit Meijer
Program- & Communications officer
Joseph Haydnlaan
marit@welkominutrecht.nu

Ilse Miltenburg
Administrative officer
ilse@welkominutrecht.nu

Amir Salman
Activities officer
Joseph Haydnlaan
amir@welkominutrecht.nu

Lara Schalkwijk
Program officer
Europalaan
lara@welkominutrecht.nu

Linda Muilwijk
Program officer
Pahud
linda@welkominutrecht.nu

Tetyana Sirenko
Program officer
Ukrainian refugees
tanya@welkominutrecht.nu

Frank van Soest
Senior Program officer
Star Lodge
frank@welkominutrecht.nu

Employees of Stichting Welkom in Utrecht are paid in accordance with the COA Sociaal Werk, Welzijn & Maatschappelijke Dienstverlening.

Vacancies

You can almost always work on a volunteer basis. Check out the get involved page for all the options!inutrecht.nu/en/join-us/” data-type=”page” data-id=”26″>join us page for all the possibilities!

Volunteers and interns

We work with many volunteers and interns. Some people participate once, others more often, and a number of them are there every week. Currently, Nicole, Marc, Behzad, Nadia, Harriët, Atieh, Mariana, and Maha are our regular volunteers. And then there are all the buddies who practice Dutch together, go on outings, visit each other, and become friends.

You can also do an internship at Welkom in Utrecht. We are a recognized training organization, which is important for some internships. This means that we can train vocational students in professional practice.
Would you like to volunteer? Or would you like to do an internship with us? Please contact us at info@welkominutrecht.nu.

The board

The board performs its duties free of charge and does not receive any reimbursement for travel expenses.

How did Welkom in Utrecht start?

In early September 2015, many people took action to do something for the large group of refugees who came to our country at that time. We started the Facebook page Welkom in Utrecht, where such ideas and initiatives from Utrecht could get a stage and initiators could find each other.
From the first opening of (emergency) shelters that month, Welcome to Utrecht grew into a platform for everyone who wanted to develop activities for and with refugees in Utrecht. Dozens of organisations and hundreds of involved citizens organised activities in the field of art and culture, sports, small-scale meetings and language.

We were able to grow further and perpetuate activities at the temporary ASC at the Einsteindreef where refugees were housed according to the vision of Plan Einstein. We are now working for the residents of all refugee centres in Utrecht. In addition, we also regularly involve independent status holders in the (organization of) activities.

Our big thanks go to everyone who made Welkom in Utrecht work so well in the exciting and very important initial phase. There are hundreds of them – maybe even more. Several initiatives that were set up in this first period still exist and now function independently. Examples are the network New Neighbours and the Sewing Workshop from Hagar to Ruth.

Since July 2016 Welkom in Utrecht is a foundation. And although we have had to formalize a few things in order to keep going and grow, our motto is still the same as in the early days: in principle everything is possible and we want to make as much happen as possible – as long as it is safe and connects to what refugees need and helps them to feel at home in Utrecht. This is why we still use our flexible working method.

Who do we work with?

Plan Einstein

Welkom in Utrecht is part of Plan Einstein. Plan Einstein is an idea developed by the Municipality of Utrecht and a number of partners; an innovative approach to the reception and integration of refugees. This approach focuses on joint activities and encounters between residents of the asylum seekers’ center and local residents under the motto ‘living together, learning together, working together’.

To be able to do our work the way we do now, we work with many Utrechters and organizations in the city and beyond. These can also be informal organizations. See below for a non-exhaustive list of these organizations.

Do you also want to become a partner of Welkom in Utrecht? Don’t hesitate to contact us at info@welkominutrecht.nu.

ANBI status & CBF recognition

Stichting Welkom in Utrecht has been designated by the tax authorities as an Institution for General Benefit (ANBI). This means, among other things, that donations to our foundation are deductible from the income tax return.

You can make a donation to NL50 TRIO 0391 1807 38 in the name of Stichting Welkom in Utrecht. Thanks in advance!

Click here for our annual report for 2024.
Would you like to view our annual reports from other years or our financial statements? Please send an email to info@welkominutrecht.nu.

See here for standard publication requirement for ANBI status.
See here for our policy plan 2021 – 2025.
See here for our memorandum of association.

Fiscal number / RSIN: 856448394.

Privacy statement

Welkom in Utrecht attaches importance to your privacy and the correct processing of your personal details. See below our privacy statements for the various target groups we work with.

See here for the privacystatement for participants of our activities.
See here for the privacystatement for our volunteers.
See here for the privacy statement for our website visitors.

Avoiding transgressive behavior

Welkom in Utrecht attaches great importance to avoiding transgressive behavior, both from the staff and board of Welkom in Utrecht and from people who participate in activities. Here you can read what we do to prevent transgressive behavior and what someone can do if this does occur or seems to occur.