Picture the scene.

It’s February. It’s been snowing and it’s bitterly cold. Schools and businesses are closing because of the bad weather. Pregnant and anxious, 5 women have no reliable form of support, 28 people with mental health problems don’t know where they will stay the night and 41 face a bleak future, having already been without regular food or shelter for at least 5 years. A further 36 wonder how they’ll support their families.

It sounds like a scene from Dickens, but it’s not. It’s from a survey of destitute asylum seekers in Leicester… in 2009.

Many asylum seekers have suffered the effects of brutal conflict, imprisonment, torture, rape or the death of loved ones. They leave all that is precious behind them to seek safety in the UK. They are forbidden to work and, if they have no money, have to rely on Home Office support almost one third lower than Income Support, the breadline level for British citizens, each week.

However, some people don’t get anything at all. In February, local organisations found 148 people with no reliable income or place to stay.

With friends and colleagues I want to help do something about the plight of these ordinary people who've found themselves in extraordinary situations. So, on 31 October, I will walk from Leicester to the Home Office reporting centre in Lougborough and back to raise money for Refugee Action's vital work with asylum seekers in Leicester.

I hope I'll have a few people with me as I set off in darkness at 0600, and I anticipate a good crowd will join me to walk back from Loughborough. There will be a welcome of tea and cakes when we reach Leicester again!

Please help me by giving generously - and don't forget to gift aid your donation!

Many thanks

Aidan

£5 will help a destitute asylum seeker travel to their local reporting centre

£10 will pay for a food parcel for 2 destitute asylum seekers

£30 will pay for a vulnerable asylum seeker to receive a nights shelter

Please check the web page below for more information about Refugee Action's work
http://www.refugee-action.org.uk/

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.