A Christmas wreath-making workshop has brought the South Yorkshire community together to raise funds for the English Hope School Charity.

The Sheffield-based charity runs classes that teach both English and digital skills to refugees and people seeking asylum.

Monday’s workshop was led by two florists who assisted the attendees in making Christmas wreaths for their homes, with a variety of materials and decorations at hand.

Although raffle tickets were also available to purchase at the event, the tickets to attend the event alone raised £400 for the charity.

As well as spreading the festive spirit, the event helped to recognise the hardship facing refugees and the importance of supporting those in need over the Christmas period.

Lucy Morley, member of the leadership team, said in her speech: “This season is about sharing with one another, maybe with people we don’t necessarily know.”

Highlighting the aims of the charity, Ms Morley was quick to emphasise that “everyone deserves to have the best education” and that “what has happened in your past should not define your future.”

The charity has now been running for nine years, having been set up at a time when government restrictions, such as funding cuts and gender barriers, were hindering the opportunities available to refugees.

The organisation now encompasses a team of highly experienced teachers who deliver group and one-to-one teaching sessions.

The team’s class coordinator, Jane Middleton, spoke out about how important the charity is in highlighting the plight of refugees.

Addressing the current rhetoric around refugees, Ms Middleton talked about the need to recognise refugees as “people with families,” who “need our sympathy and compassion.”

Alongside this workshop, the charity has ran numerous fundraisers and recruited a large amount of support from the community.

Ms Whelpton, an attendee at the event, said: “We will look out for future events to help fundraising [as] it is important to help refugees.”