Welcoming Refugees

Their lives are being torn apart.

Help us put them back together.

Please will you reach out to refugees and asylum seekers arriving in South Devon?

Many refugees and asylum seekers arriving here suffer trauma, isolation and depression. Sadly, the asylum process can take many years to process, during which time people can experience phases of homelessness, severe hardship and loss of hope.

Three organisations – Embracing Refugees, Beyond Borders Totnes & District (“BBT&D”) and The Dartington Hall Trust (“Dartington”) – have joined up to do something about it. United as the South Devon Refugee Support Network, they are providing practical support for refugees and asylum seekers on their challenging journey, by helping them to integrate into our communities.

The Network aims to raise £3,500 before Christmas and this will be match funded by Dartington. This will pay for basic reception accommodation to be made ready. A further £3,000 is sought to cover essential transport and the cost of carrying through ideas for cultural integration and practical support made by South Devon people over the last few months. This could not have happened without the vital connections created by BBT&D and Embracing Refugees.

What we’re offering

Dartington has offered White House in Foxhole (the old Dartington Hall School site) as a suitable venue and there is emerging strong interest in taking up this offer. But before that can happen, it desperately needs some renovation, plus health and safety work to bring it up to an acceptable standard. It’s also lacking basic kitchen equipment. The Trust is committing to match fund any money raised up to £3,500 to pay for this.

The building will provide:

• Temporary accommodation, in early days of arrival, while processing registration and awaiting relocation.
• Temporary accommodation for people just granted refugee status, at which point they lose their asylum seeker accommodation and benefits, and have to start again rather like any homeless UK citizen.
• Facilities for families reuniting from different countries when a person obtains refugee status. At this point they can apply to bring their spouse and dependent children to join them in the UK. The problem is, it usually results in the families living in unsuitable, overcrowded accommodation for many weeks. So temporary housing will be made available for the families while they wait for the local authority to provide a permanent home.
• Temporary accommodation for asylum seekers who are appealing against refused asylum, at which time they lose their accommodation and benefits until they submit a fresh application.
• Short term accommodation for young refugees and asylum seekers on week-long visits and courses to support their integration into life in the UK.

On behalf of the Network, The Dartington Hall Trust’s Director of Social Justice, Celia Atherton, says:

“Dartington has a long history of welcoming refugees. During the Second World War we took in artists and teachers from Germany and Spain, and welcomed evacuee children from London. They added to the wellbeing of our local community and many of them kept up links and affections with others who lived here. Today we all face the same urgency – to help people in terrible distress in our global family.”

Accommodation details

White House, built in 1962, is a self-contained building that will comfortably accommodate up to seven families. Small, but important, adjustments are needed to make the building habitable, to cover:

• Health and Safety checks on the building,
• installing fire safety equipment,
• fridges for each kitchen,
• a laundry room with a washing machine and dryer,
• paint and materials for the decoration of bedrooms,
• renovation of one room for a prayer/meditation space,
• other small items to equip the kitchens.

Due to the time and effort generously contributed by a huge number of local people to make the building fit for purpose, only £7,000 is needed to pay for the items above. Half of this has been pledged by The Dartington Hall Trust.

Vital extra support

We need to raise £3,000 to organise events and activities that will be organised to give refugees, asylum seekers and local people equal opportunities to build social bridges and enrich their life experience. This will add to the important groundwork being orchestrated by BBT&D and Embracing Refugees.

Via the beyondborderstotnes.org.uk website and the collaborative round table events, many local people are offering to help individuals and families integrate into our communities and to form a ‘Hub of Support’. The practicalities involved in organising, creating and sustaining this support mean we need to cover costs for:

- transport to health clinics, immigration, or social services offices, events, outings, workshops, hosting and cross cultural exchanges in and around Totnes,

- materials for projects, workshops, creative projects and skill sharing,

- food and drink,

- essential health and wellbeing needs,

- postage, communication and paperwork for organisation of practical support,

- promotion, design and print for some of the events.

Will you reach out to these individuals and families  

in their hour of need?

Please show your support and DONATE NOW.

Help us give a warm welcome for refugees

and asylum seekers arriving in South Devon.

Rewards

The rewards highlighted are estimations of the actual costs of what each amount could fund. All of the money will be spent to meet direct costs incurred. If for any reason not all of the money is needed, any remaining will be donated to the Red Cross Syria Crisis Appeal.