I don't think any one of us could not be moved by the pictures and stories we see on the news of the hundreds of families who are so desperate that they make the very dangerous journey across the seas in little but a dingy putting their lives at risk. We've seen the pictures of the little ones lost at sea.. these are heartbreaking and no family should ever need to be put into such an awful situation in their own country that they are forced to make these decisions. So I am wanting to play my small part in raising funds to enable a family to come safely across and enable them to settle here. 

 Southend Community Sponsorship (SCS) is one of 250 Sponsorship groups across the country at various stages of resettling a refugee family through the Community Sponsorship Scheme. This scheme brings some of the most vulnerable refugee families safely to the UK from camps in the Middle East and North African regions, before they feel tempted to make the dangerous journey across Europe.

 With the help of Citizens UK and RESET, national charities supporting Community Sponsorship groups, Southend Community Sponsorship are raising money and creating a resettlement plan to help a refugee family rebuild their lives in Southend. From the moment they arrive, the group will be providing housing, help with accessing education, language lessons, mental health support, employment support and much more. Unfortunately, not everyone has a safe route to the UK. There 80 million forcibly displaced people worldwide (UNHCR), many of whom are forced out of overcrowded and desperately under-resourced camps in search of safety and a chance to rebuild their lives following the trauma of war, persecution and destitution. As you may have seen on the news, some refugees make their way to Calais and attempt the dangerous journey across the Channel.

 To highlight the difficult situations refugees can find themselves in, SCS volunteers will be walking 108 miles over the next month, the distance between Calais and Southend. Our greatest threat will be a bit of rain but the journey from Calais to the UK is, for many refugees, the last leg of a perilous and exhausting journey.

All money raised will go to Southend Community Sponsorship to help resettle a refugee family safely in the UK. Your donations will be used to furnish a refugee family’s new home, provide English language lessons, arrange mental health support, book interpreters and meet any other needs they may have. £5 would cover a child’s bus ticket to explore Southend, £15 would pay for an English language lesson, £40 is needed for a family members counselling session. We would be so grateful for anything you can give. Even a small donation can help make a difference. Thank you!