It's my 29th birthday today - let’s make it the best one yet by raising 29 weeks of support to refugees here in the UK.
See that picture? That's me on my first day as an immigrant in Scotland. It's about 6am at Waverley station in Edinburgh. I'm lucky that I arrived in the UK by choice, filled to the brim with hope, happiness, support and security, safe in the unconscious knowledge that I could always "go back home".
Refugees don't arrive in the UK like this. They arrive to survive - leaving true turmoil in their home country, along with cherished friends, family, homes, careers, pets. When they arrive, they face impossible challenges and poverty in order to have a chance at safety for themselves and/or their family. Without the right to work and with receiving minimal to no support, they depend on charities like Refugee Survival Trust (RST) for grants to get them through challenges like traveling to their government interview appointments, buying food, and procuring bus passes. They deserve dignity not destitution.
These last-resort Destitution Grants amount to £36/week for adults and £40/week for children. The individuals they support do not receive support from the government or other sources and are at real risk of destitution. Grants can be the difference between having somewhere to stay and sleeping rough; eating properly and begging for help. They offer brief respite from shocking hardship and emotional distress.
Every little bit helps, truly. And every pound donated goes directly to refugees.
We may need to stay isolated for now, but we all need to stay connected. Thanks for reading and I hope you can contribute!
x Erin
