The refugee accomodation at Pärlans förskola is almost ready and so they are taking donations of things that the expected guests will need. You can drop things off between 12 noon and 3pm today (and yesterday...but life and news got in the way of me posting yesterday). They would appreciate:

• Winter clothes (clean and good enough condition that you yourself would wear them)
• Buggies/prams in good condition
• Hard soap
• Shampoo
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Combs
• Deodorant
• Lip balm
• Skin cream/moisturiser
• Sanitary towels (not tampons)
• Nappies (whole packets, all sizes)
• Välling powder 0-3 years in unopened packets (assume formula too)
• Baby food (not containing pork)
• Toys
• Games that don't need lanuage, like chess, card games etc.
• Large bags

The accomodation itself needs:

• Clothes rails
• Hangers - lots of them
• Plastic storage boxes, preferably big ones with lids
• Markers

And would love to have:

• A flat screen TV
• DVD player
• DVDs with English or ideally Arabic subtitles
• Table-tennis table (if you don't ask, you don't get :))
• Treadmill and exercise bike(s)

Any questions can be sent to [email protected]

Two weeks ago, Danderyd council announced that refugees would be moving into Pärlans, a pre-school site that closed recently to allow for senior housing to be built. Councils across the country have been organising and deciding on locations to house the influx of refugees that arrive every day. There has been much about this in the Swedish press and I thought I'd update you on what has been happening in Danderyd.

The warm welcome that Sweden and Swedes generally give to those arriving from war-torn countries has turned sour of late as more than twenty locations allocated to asylum-seekers have been set fire to. Including ours.

Danderyd is under significant political and public pressure to take in refugees - as a commune we are visibly wealthy and have lots of space. What there isn't is much in the way of suitable accommodation. The council took an inventory of empty space in the area, both council and private. On Monday 28th October 2015, the council announced the use of Pärlans as refugee accommodation (and most easily turned into accommodation fast) and on Tuesday night, someone tried to burn it down. Fortunately, the council had provided some security watch staff and those on duty at the time got the fire out fast.

Gustaf Söderlund, from Djursholm, thought that a community like ours should stand up to such racism and help the council protect the site, allowing the asylum-seekers to come and feel safe here. From Wednesday 30th October onwards, Gustaf has organised and taken part in two-hour shifts where two or more locals help guard Pärlans through the night. He is rightly getting plenty of media attention for this but, more than that, he is inspiring the community to actually do something about it. So far, he has had volunteers step up and guard each night but we do need to help him maintain this - for as long as it is needed.