Organised by Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees"If you were forced to flee your home, how would you feel?” Desperate Journeys asks this question to participants, bringing refugee stories to life—and your donation helps us share them while supporting refugees in Sevenoaks. Walk with us. Give now.
Desperate Journeys · 16 June 2025 to 20 June 2025 ·
Closes 30/06/2025
Every day, thousands of families are forced to make impossible decisions — to flee home with nothing, to trust strangers, to cross borders with only hope in their hearts. Desperate Journeys invites you to take that journey with them — not as a bystander, but as a participant.
Led by Empathy Action in partnership with Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees, Desperate Journeys is an immersive, 90-minute theatre experience that brings the refugee crisis to life. Participants walk in the shoes of a refugee family, navigating dangerous checkpoints, making life-or-death decisions and feeling the tension, fear, and small moments of hope that define their journey.
With a passport and a handful of (fake) money, audience members are guided through a maze-like set — a vivid recreation of the disorienting, uncertain path many refugees take. Every detail is drawn from real-life testimonies, case studies, and consultations with people who have lived through it.
Desperate Journeys is more than a powerful educational tool. It is also a call to action.
Funds raised will support the ongoing delivery of this experience and directly aid refugee families rebuilding their lives in the Sevenoaks district — helping with housing, education, language support, and community integration.
“Thank you so much for yesterday. It was BRILLIANT... I think it had a real impact on the students!” — Secondary school teacher after a session
We’re asking you to walk with us. Every pound you give makes a difference. Both Empathy Action and Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees are 100% volunteer-run. That means every gift — big or small — goes directly to making Desperate Journeys possible and supporting the resettlement of refugee families in our community. We truly couldn’t do it without you.
The experience runs 16–20 June, with the support of the Mayor of Sevenoaks and Sevenoaks Town Council. With your help, we can bring these vital stories to life — and continue building a community that welcomes, understands, and stands beside those forced to flee.
“I would just like to say to everyone how good it was to meet and work with you all. Being part of Desperate Journeys is always an amazing and emotional experience, and I love the impact we have on those children and adults who accompany us on the journey.” — Maureen, Volunteer for Desperate Journeys, 2024
Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees is a registered charity providing comprehensive support to refugees throughout the entire resettlement process in the Sevenoaks district.
https://www.sevenoakswelcomesrefugees.org/
Empathy Action is a registered charity creating immersive experiences and workshops that foster empathetic understanding of the people behind global humanitarian crises.
https://www.empathyaction.org/
Charities pay a small fee for our service. Learn more about fees
