The Upper Wharfedale Refugee Support Group is a group of concerned individuals in the Yorkshire Dales who share a common desire to help  alleviate the suffering of refugees as winter approaches. In addition to raising awareness of the crisis locally and collecting supplies, we are also raising money for UNHCR.

UNHCR is the UN's charity for refugees. They are working on the ground, but our support is vital in helping them reach refugees, at all stages of their journey, to ensure they can:

• Better protect families at the start of their journey:
  UNHCR offers support and assistance to over 4 million Syrians who have fled to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, providing basic essentials such as cash for food, shelter and medical care to struggling families in both urban and camp locations. They help children to access education, giving families another reason to stay safe in host countries. Since September, they have reached almost 1 million very vulnerable refugees through cash assistance, benefiting both refugee families and local communities.
  
  
• Assist people at the mid-point of their journey:
  For those who have already left their homes or host countries for Europe, in Northern Africa UNHCR provides urgent help to the vulnerable, injured or those left destitute by smugglers. They also help people to access advice and ensure their rights to get the help they need. They have provided access to medical care for over 65,000 refugees so far, including over 11,000 children.
  
  
• Support refugees upon arrival in Europe:
  At the borders, UNHCR is monitoring the situation and working to protect new arrivals by ensuring they have access to asylum and emergency shelter. They also help children travelling alone by providing specialist support and care. With winter fast approaching, UNHCR has distributed over 32,400 sleeping mats, 6,890 sleeping bags and 26,400 blankets and delivered over 275,000 more.

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.