The Welwitschia Welfare Centre was set up in December 1998(The Angolan Advice & Information Centre) by a group of young    Angolan intellectuals with the objective of helping fellow community members have easy access to the mainstream services .They felt that members of the community were facing a lot of difficulty in accessing services due to language, cultural, barrier, and lack of knowledge of their rights and entitlements in the UK. At the beginning it was run   by volunteers only in a small flat in Ponders End, Enfield. In 2001, it managed to get its first funding and moved to a Catholic Church building at West Green Road, Tottenham Haringey. After three months it secured an office space at Imperial House Building, (it’s a current Home). In October 2007 it changed its named to Welwitschia Legal Advice Centre due to higher demand of its services by other fellow African, especially African Portuguese speaking migrants and refugees it also changed its objectives.  In  February  2010  it  changed  again  its  name  to  Welwitschia  Welfare  Centre. This  was  in  order  to  reflect  the  services  that  Welwitschia provides. WWC  provides  not  only  legal  advice  but also  other  services.

Currently the centre employs only one full-time Adviser co-ordinator, and dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to help fellow community members. The dedicated staffs at WWC include a diverse array of individuals who share a deep commitment to issues of concern to the African Portuguese Community  and  other  black  ethnic  minority. In March 2008, it incorporated as charitable company limited having no share.As such, WWC is uniquely positioned to address the highly complex culture specific needs of the African Portuguese speaking  refugees,  asylum  seekers, migrants  and  others  in  the  UK.  Nowadays  though  Welwitschia  has  become  a  multicultural  centre  where  everyone  is  welcomed.  We  believe  that  poverty  does  not  know  race,  colour, creed,  religion  or  nationality.  It  affects  everyone.  Our  client's  based  now  includes  nationals  of  the  following  countries;  Angola, Cabo-Verde, Guine-Bissau, Mozambique, Sao-Tome  and  Principe, Brazil, Portugal, Congo  DR,  Congo  Brazaville, Malawi,  African  Carribean, Bulgaria, Slovakia,  Ecuador,  Colombia and Bolivia.  Ten  years  ago this    would be  unthinkable. 

Mission Statement Welwitschia Welfare Centre is a Registered Charity (Charity number: 1131751) and Company Limited by Guarantee (Company number: 6528173….) set up in 1998 to facilitate the integration of African Portuguese-speaking migrants, refugees and other  minority  ethnics in the UK through  the provision of information ,advice, guidance and through offering support services aimed at increasing access to mainstream services.     

Aims and Objectives

AIM 1 To facility the integration of African Portuguese-speaking migrants, refugee  asylum seekers  and other ethnic  minorities into mainstream society Objectives:

1. To provide information, advice and guidance on employment, training and education opportunities.
2. To seek to upscale community members’ skills by sign-posting training and learning opportunities.
3. To provide support services ensuring that community members are able to reach their full potential.
4. To broaden the employment and economic prospects of community     members.
5. To empower community members to became financially independent.
6. To educate African Portuguese-speaking youth about their socio-cultural heritage and nurture a sense of cultural identity/ belonging among younger generations.

Aim 2 To provide relief to the needs of African Portuguese- speaking migrants, refugees and  others minority  ethnics living in the UK Objectives:

1. To help community members with their needs and support them to achieve a better quality of life in the UK.
2. To provide information, advice, guidance and support I relation to immigration, legal welfare and healthcare services.
3. To reduce social isolation by addressing social and recreational needs, as well as providing emotional support.