It is hard not to feel overwhelmed by the stream of reports in the media about armed conflict and people adversely impacted by war. A local Christian, Helen Mealins is stepping out in faith and engaging people in a community art project.
The Herefordshire Prayer Beads Project aims to bring together people from across the county to reflect on the human cost of armed conflict, displacement, and migration.
Project participants are invited to pause, reflect, and write down their personal reflections and prayers for the world's most vulnerable people on slips of paper, and then to fold these into modular origami units. The units will be assembled into decorative beads and strung together to form a prayer bead set. The finished artwork will go on public display and will serve as a visible reminder of the power of collective prayer.
Helen grew up in Lebanon during its devastating civil war. She witnessed first-hand the suffering of Palestinian refugees living in a camp next to her school. "As a child I learned what it means to be forced from your home. I saw the suffering behind the statistics," said Helen. "My experience of living as a minority among people of different religions and cultures was one of welcome, generosity and kindness," she said. "I would love for people who find their way to Herefordshire to experience that same warmth from us."
Helen hopes that the project will serve to strengthen community bonds at a time when migration has become an increasingly divisive and politicised issue. "I feel frustrated when politicians overlook the individual human suffering behind the numbers," she said. "As people of faith — and as people of conscience — I believe we can respond differently. Prayer is something we can do together, and this project makes that prayer visible."
The statistics driving Helen's concern are stark. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, by the end of 2024 there were 123.2 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, including an estimated 49 million children. The UK hosts around one per cent of the world's refugee population, and according to its Council, Herefordshire has welcomed less than 1000 individuals under government resettlement schemes over the past decade. ]
With financial support to cover the costs of materials from the Diocese of Hereford and volunteers from the Hereford College of Arts the project has made a strong start with over 700 participants from churches, schools and community groups crafting some 3800 units. To reach its goal of making up to 12,000 folded units, Helen is inviting others to get involved during Refugee Week (15 – 21 June 2026). This year the theme is “courage” and she hopes by supporting efforts to raise awareness of the plight of refugees globally, nationally and locally she can help celebrate the courage it takes to leave home, cross borders, and begin rebuilding a life somewhere new.
Helen will be out and about running project drop-by sessions as part of HVOSS events and activities happening in towns across the county during Refugee Week. She is also offering postal packs of project materials to groups who are interested in working independently on the project.
If you would like a group that you are involved with to contribute to the Herefordshire Prayer Beads Project, please email Helen Mealins requesting a postal pack of materials and indicting how many people you expect to participate.