Click on the image below to listen to the who, what, when, where, why behind Refuge Chocolate
HOW REFUGE STARTED
Refuge Hot Chocolate (now Refuge Chocolate) has been fully operational since 2017 led by Chief Potion Maker Tara Mullan.
'Not being a tea or coffee drinker I spent many years sampling the hot chocolate drinks throughout Ireland and beyond, never quite getting one that hit the taste buds of how I thought a hot chocolate should taste. Until a few years ago I went skiing in Andora and tasted something that hit the spot. It was strong, thick and had so much taste. More like melted chocolate than the expensive dish water I was often served in cafes.
This awakening must have been filed away in the depths of my brain and came to the fore when I was trying to come up with a solution to financially support a local anti human trafficking charity I volunteer for. I briefly tested several ideas of projects to raise finance for the charity. Until one day the name Refuge and hot chocolate literally dropped into my head. This is when I started experimenting with recipes I read about and ones I made up.
Once I got closer to what I thought was a good tasting drink I asked friends to test some and give me feedback. After this I had the recipe for the original chocolate. It's still the same recipe we use today.'
THE REASON WE EXIST
Co-founder of Flourish NI, Jill Robinson has this to say…
Flourish is so very grateful for the ongoing support of Refuge.
Last year we very generously received £8,500 from Refuge towards our work. As a charity we do not receive statutory funding for the work that we do, so donations like this are vital to be able to provide long-term support for survivors of human trafficking.
More specifically this money has enabled us to do the following:
- provide 500 hours of casework support to survivors.
- Casework is the core of the charity’s work – it is 1:1 intensive support to empower survivors to be able to move on to lead safe, independent and resilient lives.
- It covers all areas of a survivor’s life: mental health, physical health, education, employment, human trafficking, immigration, family, finances, housing and social supports.
- Survivors face many barriers from being able to move on with their lives, and support is required to navigate these many challenging areas.
- Our aim is a brighter future for all survivors impacted by human trafficking.
A quote from a survivor on their experience of casework support:
“I have never had help like this before. You do so much for me. You help me believe in my future”
As a team at Flourish, we want to say a huge thank you to Refuge for being a part of that brighter future for survivors.
