‘A place to call ‘home’: Summer ’24 news from Loughborough Town of Sanctuary.
Supporting those who seek ‘a safe place to call home’ is of course, in one way or another, at the heart of all we do. All of us are looking on in utter dismay at unfolding events across the country we call ‘home’ and which we want to feel offers a compassionate welcome, not racist bigotry and violence, masquerading as ‘protest’. Putting together this newsletter has nevertheless been an encouraging procedure. There is hope!
What seems to stand out since our last newsletter, is a really strong sense of teamwork and collaboration with a wide range of organisations across our locality, working to act with compassion towards those seeking asylum here or settle here as refugees. It’s clear too, that we are learning from each other as we go along and hopefully getting more effective in the process!
Our struggle is often against ‘the system’ so unless and until other things change, we can probably only do our best to mitigate some of the injustices which prevail, but I think it’s clear that we are at least making a difference; and showing some solidarity with those we seek to help.
A report from Sarah Jones, Mental Health Neighbourhood Lead for Charnwood. comments on this in a recent report, praising LToS for their work and its positive impact on the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees in our district.
A key driver of this collaborative effort has been the Charnwood Asylum Seekers and Refugee Network, of which LToS were founder members – working together, helping to treat individuals with dignity and compassion, and offering person-centred support in all sorts of ways.
Meeting and greeting.
Meeting and greeting at the ‘Immigration Enforcement Centre’ continues, ably and efficiently co-ordinated by Paul Carroll, and is very much appreciated by those we meet.
Soon after our last newsletter, however, anxiety levels for those reporting – as well as for those ‘meeting and greeting’ there – became very high, following the government announcement that some asylum seekers were to be detained, prior to being transported to Rwanda. Some had already received letters to this effect – and Home Office ‘Enforcement’ vans began to appear ominously in the car park behind the Immigration Office.
Word spread quickly and a protest was soon mobilised, led by a number of groups, mainly from Derby and Long Eaton and supported by LToS volunteers. The aim was to resist this cruel policy and tell any of those taken away that this was not necessarily the will of all British people. Emma Lowe was a prime mover in this respect, and we are very grateful for her hard work, determination and co-ordination skills!
A leaflet was provided to inform those reporting of potential sources of help once detained and LToS ‘meeters and greeters’ were as usual there (though with an extended timetable) to reassure others and offer moral support wherever possible – along with the usual meal ticket, SIM card or Superdrug vouchers.
This was a very challenging time for all concerned: despite our best efforts, some of these detentions did go ahead, but we like to think news coverage of the protests contributed to the pressure which eventually saw those detainees released – and of course the general election result has now changed government policy.
One particular incident is worth mentioning as it sums up the cumulative result of supporting individuals in the wide range of ways we offer. A previous asylum seeker who has been supported by us in many ways has now been granted Leave to Remain. He was among volunteers for LToS offering moral support outside the Reporting Office. A contact in Nottingham had informed Mo of another young man’s extreme anxiety about having to report in Loughborough. It was arranged that he would be met by this volunteer, who shares the same first language, and could accompany him to the Immigration Enforcement office. Updates as to the unlikely progression of the Rwanda policy were offered, together with the usual moral support, plus it transpired that the two had met previously and a supportive friendship is now progressing. Our volunteer was proud to help, as he does with so many of our activities. Our support for him is ongoing and he is now also supported by Exaireo, but he, in return, is eager to give back to the community which has welcomed him.
Somewhere that feels like ‘home’ / Supporting mental health.
We still have two hotels in Loughborough providing accommodation for asylum seekers, – one for single men and the other for couples and families – and we have been told there is no immediate plan to close them.
We have been concerned for some time about the impact on mental health for those accommodated in very cramped conditions, with relatively little agency over their own daily lives, not allowed to work, given no choice in the food they eat, and with only £8.86 per week to cover any other basic necessities.
We have continued to offer opportunities for individuals to meet, shop, cook and eat together with the support of the URC church who host these events and offer their kitchen facilities. These were originally a direct result of consultations with residents at one of the hotels, who said how much they missed being able to choose and cook their own food and enjoy it together. Many thanks to Steph, Sally, Gabs and Anne, the shopping volunteer team, who accompany the women to Tesco and take them up to the URC Church. That’s where the ‘kitchen team’ take over: Geetha, Christine, Dilys, Tony and Rachel from URC and Lizzie from LToS.
Many other initiatives provide support for mental health.
LToS volunteers, led by Pete Cantle – together with members of the mental health team and the Bridge, offer a weekly opportunity at one of the hotels, in order to chat, play board games, share a coffee and generally befriend residents and offer moral support. This has been very much appreciated and is proving invaluable in building trust and being ready to support when ‘the system’ presents them with further challenges.
Tina Robinson continues to source, repair and give bikes to asylum seekers. Only recently, one of our learners at the English sessions, was telling us just how much he loves his bike! The family have been supported in many ways by Tina, since his wife and children arrived in the UK – and later when he joined them on a family reunion visa. He is keenly seeking work as they currently manage on his wife’s low wage as a carer. It was clear, not only that his bike helps him day to day, but will also get him to his ultimate place of employment. In addition, it is already helping him to maintain some independence and agency over his life.
Another vital element in terms of mental health is, of course, physical fitness and exercise. Access to Leisure Centre facilities is not affordable on the small allowance made to asylum seekers, but we have now applied for and have been awarded a ‘Charnwood Community Grant’. Thanks so much to Steph for her hard work on this. The funds will help us to work with the leisure centre to provide access to some sports facilities. Now the hard work starts to decide who will be eligible, as needless to say, these opportunities will be very much sought after!
Team sports also provide another valuable way to support both physical and mental health and Becky Trickett writes:
The football of Friday mornings continues to run, with a short break over the summer. Two of the University students who support with the coaching were given the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Services to the Community and we had a lovely awards ceremony.
In June, Leicester City Football Club arranged a session at their training ground and the men were able to go over and use all the facilities and they had a great time.
We have supplied about 7 pairs of new boots so everyone can attend and play.
Due to residents moving on, numbers are a little bit lower but hopefully we can get advertising in the hotels for more people to attend and get playing in September.
A recent challenge for us and those we support has been that an increasing number of asylum seekers are being moved from hotels locally, sometimes at less than 12 hours’ notice, to other accommodation, some distance away for example to Retford and Telford, with another young man who has been given notice of a move several times, only for Home Office officers to change their minds. There seems no consideration of the impact this might have on the families affected. Friendships, family life, education opportunities and mental health are often seriously affected.
Robert Knight writes of one such challenge:
We have successfully helped * and his family in their move to accommodation in the West Midlands. Unfortunately, they were informed about their relocation at such short notice that they nearly missed taking their English Language exam at Loughborough College. But thanks to some last-minute improvisation and some generous donations including from Trinity Methodist Church, they managed to take the exam and are now settling down in their new home. Here’s their thank you message:
“Everything is fine, We love our new home, especially after a 10 month stay in a hotel. It has been very good for us. There were some things missing, but we fixed them. It is very nice to have a kitchen to cook your own meals and own space as well.
‘Instant’ homelessness
A number of asylum seekers housed in our local hotels have recently been granted Leave to Remain, which should be a reason for celebration… but this means they are then given a very short time to find alternative accommodation and a job to support themselves. The process of being granted Universal Credit seems to proceed without our support, but the application process for housing help from Charnwood Borough Council must be made on-line and is complex and ‘clunky’, even for those of us who are reasonably computer-literate. Add to this the fact that (of course) the instructions are all in English, and you will realise that many of the asylum seekers need support to navigate this process.
LToS have been proactive in offering support and Ann Gimpel has produced an excellent list of guidance / key facts about the housing process for those of us who have little experience in these situations.
Beverley Gray, (our local councillor and lead tutor at Loughborough College) has, also been very supportive indeed, as has Sarah Jones, Mental Health Lead for Charnwood. Being part of the
Charnwood Asylum Seekers and Refugee Network has been a lifeline: the challenges for a relatively small group at LToS are huge!
Under Council rules, only families with young children or those with extreme (and I mean extreme!!) mental health issues are considered to be ‘vulnerable’. So all others are promptly made street-homeless and Housing Officers at the hotels have strict instructions not to offer support once Leave to Remain is granted.
One particularly distressing case serves to illustrate just how high is the bar – set by the council – for ‘vulnerability’. One single lady whom we had supported in a number of ways during her stay in one of the hotels, was given Leave to Remain. She had a history of mental illness, including a previous stay in hospital. Despite intervention by several of our volunteers on her behalf, she had been told she was not eligible for ‘emergency housing’ from the council. Not long before the date she was due to be made homeless, her GP referred her for further mental health support and she was ‘sectioned’ for the second time – meaning that she was again admitted to hospital for treatment.
For those who find themselves sleeping rough, LToS volunteers have again stepped into the breach. They have provided them with tents and sleeping bags, helped them register for ‘Your Store’ at John Storer House, and ensured access to invaluable daytime support from JSH and Fearon Hall. In some cases they have supported them successfully through the application and interview process for housing and ongoing support from Exaireo , a Loughborough based charity, even providing a translator from our talented English team. In at least the case of one young man , whom two LToS volunteers had helped to erect a tent in Southfields Park, a room was eventually secured for him at the Falcon Centre.
For families with young children, CBC will usually provide housing, albeit not necessarily long term. For example, a single mum and girls has been settled in a 2 bed flat in Loughborough, and a Yemeni family are now settling into their family house in Sileby.
But then follows the next challenge:
Only beds or mattresses and a microwave are provided by CBC so LToS has again stepped into the breach, alongside Meg at Fearon Hall and others from the Hub. We have now implemented a system wherein a request is sent out for an LToS volunteer to co-ordinate support for each family. Donations of all sorts have been forthcoming, mainly as a result of Anne’s Facebook requests. We’re learning as we go along with all these situations of course, so Ann Gimpel has again produced a very comprehensive ‘what to do’ list, drawn from her own experience in the role, which is proving extremely helpful. The major obstacle seems to be transport for the larger items such as carpets, so any help in that direction, or further volunteers to be a family’s ’co-ordinator’ would be very much appreciated. This role is by no means easy but is extremely rewarding – and the last item on Ann’s ‘to do’ list is advice on how to ‘let go’!
Here’s Ann’s account of her experience of helping one such family:
I was having coffee with Mo who mentioned that no-one had come forward to support the first family to be housed by CBC. After a few more sentences I found my mouth saying, ‘I’ll do it.’
I had the name of the family and phone number, no address as yet and a wonder on how on earth I was going to find stuff for their unfurnished house. I was given names and ideas to follow up. An email was circulated to supporters resulting in a wonderful array of household items no longer needed and kindly offered. Being of a list kind of person I immediately started to make a list of the offers, who had made the offer and whether they could deliver. I added to the list items that would be needed by the family.
The family had a couple of days between hearing they had a house and having to move from the hotel. They now had the address and keys and I met them there. It was a newly refurbished terraced house – with a new kitchen and bathroom. The kitchen had a microwave but no white goods. They also had foam mattresses delivered. The house had been refurbished modestly but decently, and there was a garden, but the microwave and mattresses was the sum of the furnishing.
CBC were doing what they could to find the white goods.
Gradually household goods were collected and taken to the house. The family were extraordinarily grateful for everything. We even managed to get two rolls of carpet to them, important because they had a crawling baby. At the last visit to them I was pleased to see the carpet had been laid.
I found there was a balance to be made between helping and leaving them alone in their home. They would have to find their way around their new home, where the best shops were, surgeries, foodbank, etc and I wonder whether that could be a role for someone.
The role appealed to me as someone who likes foraging. I enjoyed receiving the offers of goods, searching out needed items and co-ordinating the pick ups and delivery.
I was happy to have helped one family into a place they could call home. I thought it would take weeks and weeks to do as much as was needed, but it was just over two weeks.
As I felt I was having to make things up as I went along I have drawn up a template which others can use and edit or add to. By the time I had finished it I found other sources of information.
Moving on / finding employment.
In terms of finding jobs, although some individual support continues through established friendships, we do not have to capacity to provide ongoing support for all. However, we have established several useful links to people, and to organisations such as the Shaw Trust, and Business2business to whom we can introduce newly recognised refugees. Both organisations provide ongoing support and courses to help gain skills and make successful job applications.
Our English conversation sessions play an important role here, given that so many job descriptions will, of course, include the ability to communicate well in English. It has become clear that for all sorts of reasons, we cannot offer formal weekly English Language courses and we are delighted that Loughborough College has now found ways to fund such courses for asylum seekers and refugees.
However, what we do offer, are weekly, supported opportunities for everyday English conversation … and here’s where the relationships built up over time are proving so useful. Those given Leave to Remain who have managed to find accommodation locally continue to attend our English sessions and it’s clear that these sessions are a vital way of providing moral support and friendship at all the stages of challenge encountered in the asylum system.
Sometimes a planned session is completely changed by a piece of good news shared – or a particular distress expressed by a group member. Then perhaps a listening ear, a game, or a ‘silly’ opportunity for laughter might be the most important experience to offer.
At other times, an exam at Loughborough college looms large and specific help with items of grammar, reading or spelling is needed – and perhaps followed up in the next few sessions.
On other occasions, group members are tackling some of the issues mentioned above- and vocabulary concerning the house and home (even of the council terminology around housing!) are vital elements of the session.
Fluctuating attendance; somewhat ‘elastic’ timing in the arrival of learners (!); and varying tutor availability (we do have lives outside LtOS after all!!) are an ongoing challenge. Add to this the widely different level of learners’ proficiency in English and you will have sympathy for Robert Knight who does the really tricky job each week of allocating learners to tutors!
Meanwhile, what I love is that each tutor’s personality and approach is different and there is a lot of laughter, empathy and genuine friendship being enjoyed all over the room. As a volunteer for these sessions., there are only two qualities needed: the ability to relate to people – and flexibility!!! Many thanks to all who regularly give their time and talents and respond so well to all these challenges.
Making connections / getting our message ‘out there’.
Within hours of requesting some help with our website, Hannah, who is a regular supplier of children’s clothes etc nominated her partner to lend us some support. Robert has met with Jerry several times and together they are upgrading and further developing our website.
And finally …
Last, but very definitely NOT least, a huge thank you to committee members: Mo, Robert, Nichole, Steph, Becky, Lisa and Anne, now joined by Rita and Yusuf, previously asylum-seekers and now given Leave to Remain and living locally. Needless to say, this is another example of those we have supported ‘giving back’ both to us and to our community. Two other asylum seekers were also serving on the committee, but sadly are now among those ‘moved on’ by the Home Office to accommodation elsewhere.
All those in this dedicated team not only play their different roles within the committee but are also at the forefront of co-ordinating volunteers in all that we do – and also volunteer in various activities themselves. These roles are by no means easy: they are the ‘go to’ people for all of us as volunteers, especially when things go wrong, or a particularly hard new challenge emerges.
Key to all this, or course is Mo Murray, our Chair, whose work has now been recognised in the form of a well-deserved nomination for the Charnwood Community Heroes award. A HUGE THANKYOU Mo for all that have done for us, and for those who come to us. Never doubt the massive difference you have made to those we seek to help.
This leaves two roles which we urgently need to fill, if this vital and rewarding work is to continue: a ‘Chair’ for our committee; and a Co-ordinator to pull together the various threads of our work and oversee the variety of tasks we undertake. We hope we have secured a volunteer for the role of Chair and we are applying for lottery funding to support the co-ordinator role. We can’t guarantee the funding, of course, but we do have a good bunch of willing volunteers ready and waiting to be ‘co-ordinated’! What we do is demanding, but incredibly rewarding – so please think carefully as to whether you, or someone you know, might be the person to ensure that we can continue to ensure that for those we serve, our community is indeed ‘a place to call home’.
I do hope I’ve included everything in this newsletter, but SO much has been going on that there is a danger that I may have missed something out! Please forgive us if we have not mentioned your valuable contribution: it is very much appreciated! Pat Stafford