Brushstrokes was set up in 1999 by Sr. Margaret Walsh as a partnership project between the Infant Jesus Sisters, Father Hudson’s Society and the parish of St. Philip Neri. Based in the heart of Smethwick it is a project which is driven by the needs of the community; the services offered are available to anybody in this vibrant community. The aim of the project is to offer support to local people who are disadvantaged and isolated. There is a particular focus on assisting newly arrived families and individuals, including asylum seekers, refugees and migrants and responding to their overwhelming needs as they adapt to their new way of life here.

Some years previously Sr. Margaret had set up the Hope Family project in Wolverhampton in partnership between the Infant Jesus Sisters and Father Hudson’s Society. She realised that the people involved at Hope were well able to look after it and was looking to set up another project based on the same spirit of outreach and seeking out the hidden poor. She wanted the project to be multicultural and multi faith. She felt called to Smethwick, where she identified a great need.

At the same time Fr. Philip Gay, then parish priest at St. Philip Neri, was also looking to set up a project in the parish reaching out to the wider community. He approached Father Hudson’s Society for help saying that the parish had the facilities but nobody to run the project. This was the start of the collaborative Community Project.

Initially Sr. Margaret moved into a council house in the area in order to be in greater solidarity with the local people and to offer hospitality. The activity was not based in the house but on going out from it to seek out those who needed help. Soon she was joined by volunteers and was later able to employ staff.

Sr. Margaret called the project Brushstrokes because Nicholas Barre`, a 17th century French priest who founded the Infant Jesus Sisters , said that we should be in the hands of God like a brush in the hands of a painter. Brushstrokes was begun on an empty canvas and its future was entrusted to the master painter.

Following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, Brushstrokes began by reaching out to those whose dignity has been disregarded and who were the most hidden and forgotten people in the neighbourhood. Through the process of going out knocking on doors to seek out people who needed help and by visiting people in their own homes Sr. Margaret and her team found those who lived like prisoners in their own homes. Many were experiencing isolation and fear.

By the end of 1999 the council house was far too small for the work and fundraising to refurbish St. Philip Neri parish centre began. On 25th June 2003 Archbishop Vincent Nichols opened the new Brushstrokes Centre. It proved to be a wonderful facility for people in the neighbourhood, offering a warm welcome and much needed activities. Two months later it was burned down in an arson attack. This devastating blow did not deter the team; they moved back to the council house and used a local centre for activities. In August 2004 a much improved parish centre was reopened. An arson attack did not destroy Brushstroke’s work nor will the present real concerns about future funding.

In the early days of seeking out the hidden poor in the area much of the work centred around Sheik families but gradually as more and more refugee and asylum seeker families were dispersed into Sandwell the work of Brushstrokes increasingly centred on their needs. Of these families Sr. Margaret writes;

“The cry of the asylum seekers is by far the most plaintive of those to be heard in Smethwick. Their situation is awful. Some are at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords and the benefits they receive are unfair and inadequate. Overstretched local agencies cannot cope with the demand and there is a lack of local expertise for many who are literally pleading for the right to live. Some who have been through horrendous persecution and have witnessed the brutal death of loved ones have been denied asylum in Britain. I have never before been so touched by human misery and despair”.

Nowadays Brushstrokes has 8 paid staff, 3 full time and 5 part time and 15 volunteers. The Centre is a busy, lively hub of activity. When people come to the Centre either for food or as a result of outreach visits they see what else is on offer. They know that they can be sure of a warm welcome and the support and help they need. They trust the staff and volunteers and many move on to access the other service that the Centre can offer such as teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), instruction in computer use, yoga and exercise courses. It is where people are helped through the maze of bureaucracy to achieve status, find accommodation, benefits and schools to help them on their journey to self fulfilment. It is where people obtain information and posting to other agencies or health care services. The Housing Department, CAB and Immigration services all hold sessions at the Centre. Social events take place at the Centre and trips are organised through there.

Whilst the Centre is a focal point for the work the Home Visiting and Befriending Service continues to be one of Brushstrokes main priorities. Through knocking on doors they find people who need their help but are unable or too scared to leave their homes or who do not know where to access help that may be available to them. Single parents with no extended family are often the most housebound. Last year over 1500 asylum seekers and refugees, over 1,000 members of the local Asian and ethnic minority community and over 200 lone, elderly people benefited from the support of Brushstrokes through the Home Visiting and Befriending Service.

Another priority area of work is the provision of practical support for destitute people who come to Brushstrokes for food, essential clothing, baby equipment, bedding and basic household items. Food and toiletries are given to families and individuals where there are no sources of income and money has completely stopped such as asylum seekers and destitute people. They are also given to people whose money is delayed so they need food on a short term basis and as a top up for people who have some money but insufficient to pay bills and buy basic food items. Clothing, household equipment and baby equipment is given to any person in need to enable them to survive. People living outside the Smethwick area are not prohibited. This aspect of the work is unique and not offered by anybody else in Smethwick and beyond. As a consequence other agencies from the West Midlands area refer people in great need to Brushstrokes for this practical help. This includes maternity units at local hospitals asking for baby packs for mothers who have no clothes, nappies nor basic equipment for their new born babies.

Whilst other agencies address some of the needs of people accessing the Brushstroke’s services Brushstrokes is unique in these two areas of work identified at their AGM as being the top two priorities: the Home Visiting and Befriending Service and the provision of practical support.

Brushstrokes welcomes donations of items to help with the provision of practical support for the destitute. There is always a need for non perishable items of food particularly items that can form part of a food parcel to make a main meal such as rice, pasta and tins of meat , fish , vegetables and fruit.

During 2009, Brushstrokes 10th year they want to celebrate the achievements of the project and would like to extend a warm welcome to friends of the project both old and new to join them for:

• A Volunteers and Friends Barbecue on Friday 5th June at 5.00 p.m.
• Sponsored Walk during Refugee week in Victoria Park on Monday 15th June at 11.00 a.m.
• Student Award Day at 1.00 p.m on Tuesday 7th July
• A Celebration lunch and presentation on Friday 17th July
• Celebration Mass and Party on Sunday 27th September 10.00 a.m – 2.00p.m.

Sadly 2009, the year when they should be concentrating on celebrating the great achievements of Brushstrokes all the current funding for staff posts comes to an end. A small committee is working very hard to try to secure some future funding but that is proving to be very , very challenging. Statutory funding, which they would normally be looking for to fund most of the posts, has almost dried up. Grant Making Trusts which they would also be looking to for funding are not able to give as larger grants as usual. This is partly because falls in their investment income has resulted in them having less to give and partly because the Trusts are finding themselves overwhelmed by the vastly increased number of requests they are receiving from charities. It is vital that the work of Brushstrokes, which has been established over the last 10 years and which is unique, should continue and develop. They are using the 10th Anniversary Celebrations to launch an Appeal for financial help. If there is anyway in which you could help ensure that Brushstrokes continues it’s vital work by giving a donation, no matter how small or by organising a fundraising event for them please contact:

Teresa Clements, Project Manager

Tel: 0121 565 2234
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

or write to her at:

Brushstrokes,
St Philip’s Parish Centre,
Messenger Road,
Smethwick,
B66 3DU.