Refugee Action – Colchester
Fundraising campaign by
Maria Wilby
-
£4,190.00Donated So Far
Refugee Action Colchester works with people from 26 countries who have come to Colchester as refugees, asylum seekers or vulnerable migrants.
This year over 350 people have accessed support and encouragement form our Colchester Office at 15 Queen Street. Some of these clients have no recourse to public funding, living in destitution. We make regular payments to these clients and assist them in their situation, be it by accessing free legal support, housing, donations or a combination of all of these. Sami is an Afghan woman whose husband was deported three months ago and now lives alone with three small children, one of whom is a baby. Without our support she would be unable to access legal aid, and her legitimate human rights route to remain in the UK. Part of that support, while she has no recourse to public funds has been to pay her rent and assist with food. The other support is a wonderful befriender and making sure that the school and health visitor understand the stresses under which she must live while the applications needed are made. Her alternative - the children being taken into care and mum being on the street. Its not an option for us and sadly neither are the many similar cases where people have arrived here expecting peace and support and have faced the hostile environment and its influences. Please help us, as you often do in our facebook appeals and know that our unpaid work continues to help those most in need every day.
Every penny also supports our offices where amazing things happen, people are reunited with loved ones, get visas to see family they thought they'd lost, find free nappies on our shelves, clothes and furniture are given, rooms found for temporary support, therapeutic help is accessed, violin, conversation and computer classes are given, forest schools and community events bring smiles and pleasure for clients and volunteers. Expert advocacy accompanies every application and appointment for each client who needs it.
Organizer
- Maria Wilby
- Campaigner
- Colchester, UK
Donors
- Aled Horner
- Donated on Jan 07, 2020
- Anonymous
- Donated on Jan 05, 2020
Thanks for restoring my faith in humanity
URGENT NEEDS
Update posted by Maria Wilby at 01:20 pmThis year has seen an unprecedented surge in the number of clients needing support. 350 clients form 26 countries and a great diversity of backgrounds and journeys means we have been learning new skills to support them. New partnerships mean that we now have six routes to support people with. . . . .
Refugees 2017
Update posted by Maria Wilby at 08:00 amThank you to all who donated in 2016. We have achieved such a lot with your support. Many small grants and loans have enabled local refugees and asylum seekers to get important documents processed and applied for. Calais and the Jungle remain on our mind and we are currently raising. . . . .
Thank you
Update posted by Maria Wilby at 09:07 amAt present we seem to have changed role from what we started doing. We still visit Calais regularly and have been supporting such wonderful events as an Arabic evening for our new Syrian neighbours to meet Colchester's wonderful community and an Eid celebration in the amazing First Site building -. . . . .
Thank you
Update posted by Maria Wilby at 03:28 pmFor all of you who have donated to RA-C we would like to send the warmest thanks. The money you have sent has enabled trips to Calais roughly every 5 to 6 weeks by teams of volunteers from around Colchester. The work there has spanned times of enormous change in. . . . .
Our pledge campaign with Welcome Refugees Colchester
Update posted by Maria Wilby at 10:02 pmDonors & Comments
- Emma Cotter
- Donated on Mar 06, 2020
For the family with the 14yo lad needing trousers
- Aled Horner
- Donated on Jan 07, 2020
- Anonymous
- Donated on Jan 05, 2020
Thanks for restoring my faith in humanity
- Anna de Wolff Evans
- Donated on Dec 21, 2019
- Shelley Braddock-Overbury
- Donated on Dec 15, 2019
Thanks for all you do for so many.
- Lucy Davies
- Donated on Sep 07, 2019
You do amazing and very necessary work and I wish you every success.
- Anonymous
- Donated on Sep 01, 2019
- Philippa Bell
- Donated on Aug 25, 2019
- Anonymous
- Donated on Feb 09, 2019
A small donation to help the Iraqi family. X
- Laura Asioli
- Donated on Dec 17, 2018
For the family with the 14yo lad needing trousers