2015 Annual Review for Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group

Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group

Annual Review 2014 –15

Our clients say If anyone wants to see angels on Earth, they can see SWVG visitor friends.

I always feel blessed by God to have wonderful friends like them. They have done soooooo much for us, I know, I can never repay it. But I always pray for all of you and I know, my God will repay you in much better way, because it’s not just my tongue which prays but my heart. May God keep all of you always blessed n happy.

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Sanctuary – somewhere that I can turn to. The most supportive charity I have ever come across.

Wonderful people/group that I have ever met in my entire life. Caring, kind and accommodating, especially my visitor. God bless them all. Honestly, I’m short of words. This group is wonderful and always helpful. Happy to meet them.

Thank you. it is like my family.

My involvement with SWVG taught me a lot about issues that affect asylum seekers and refugees, especially destitution.

I received incredible support and encouragement. I have been allocated a befriender who supports me emotionally.

When I am settled and have work I want to help others, like SWVG helped me. Thank you SWVG.

SWVG, no words are enough to describe what you are to me. You’re my best friend. You’re my family. You gave me hope when I had no hope. You gave me strength to go on in this trying moment. All your visitors are awesome.

Through rain, shine, wind, snow you’re always there, you never give up on me.

A BIG FAT THANK YOU.

SWVG helps us in every possible way they can from getting legal advice regarding our case to financial assistance in various matters which include assistance for hobbies. All the help provided by SWVG enabled us to settle down and integrate well in the society.

All the staff and volunteers are very cooperative, helpful and doing the great job of helping humanity.

SWVG means life to me.

SWVG cares for me.

It means the whole world.

I would be nothing without them. And they are helpful to everyone. They mean a lot. I love them all.

They are the only family I have. I don’t know how to thank them. I appreciate everything that they are doing for me. Thank you very much SWVG a million times.

Our core activities Each client referred to us is allocated a visitor whom they meet regularly and who offers support and friendship. Most clients are physically and emotionally traumatised by their experiences and bewildered by the asylum system and life in a strange country. Some need help to find a GP, a solicitor or a school for their children.

Those waiting to hear the outcome of their asylum claim are not allowed to work but receive NASS support – a room in a shared house and £36.95 a week. Clients who have had their initial claim refused are no longer entitled to NASS support,

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leaving them destitute. Our ASSIST scheme pays up to £75 a week for a small room and £35 a week subsistence for a limited period. With this support many clients can get legal advice, paid for by legal aid, from a local firm of solicitors with whom we work closely, enabling them to submit a fresh claim. In complex cases we can arrange for clients to receive advice from an experienced immigration lawyer.

For those granted Indefinite leave to remain the road ahead is still difficult. Even those with skills and training have not worked for some years. For the less qualified it can be very

hard to find jobs. Some have found work cleaning, caring or in factories but most clients, however keen to work, rely on housing benefit and JSA. We have met managers at Jobcentre

Plus to improve the support for our clients. Delays in paying benefits mean that without SWVG’s financial support clients would again be destitute.  For some clients legal avenues are exhausted, NASS support is withdrawn and they face destitution. In these circumstances ASSIST and the support of their visitor help them them consider their limited options. Refugee Action has provided impartial and compassionate advice to several clients considering assisted voluntary return.

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Beyond the basics Education and training Learning English is particularly important for our clients and we help and encourage them to attend courses run by CLEAR or City College. We also have qualified volunteers who can arrange one-to-one sessions.

This is particularly important for clients who speak no, or very little, English and who may even not be able to write in their own language.

We also apply for charitable grants to enable clients to go on training courses such as plumbing or engineering, or to take university degrees. One of our clients has been awarded

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a degree and another has achieved a Masters’. Clients show considerable commitment to these courses, which they sometimes commence before they have even been granted leave to remain.

Voluntary work Asylum seekers are not allowed to work before they have leave to remain, but most of them very much want to work and to become independent.

Meanwhile they often do voluntary work as a way of contributing to the community – in charity shops, taking the book trolley round in hospital, or in the kitchen at Avenue St Andrews

Multi-Cultural Centre. Clients are also very helpful to each other and because so many different languages are spoken – Amharic, Arabic, Kurdish, Farsi etc – they will act as informal interpreters.

Social and individual activities Depression, loneliness and boredom are conditions which can beset asylum seekers and another way we try to help them overcome this is by providing social activities. This year, for example, we organised a barbeque in Royal Victoria Park, Netley, a summer party at St Mary’s Church, Southampton and a Christmas party to which

some clients brought a national dish they themselves had cooked. We have also arranged fund raising walks and trips to the theatre. In all these events clients and their children take an active part. In addition, we provide support for individual activities such as cycling, swimming, crafts and music.

One of our visitors has designed a drama which has been very successful and which clients have adapted to put on different performances.

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Our work in numbers We have regularly visited (with

28

52

( clients

children) for all or part of

the year and about

26

more have

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We have taken on

9

male and

17

NASS support in Southampton for all or part of the year

We have provided ASSIST support for

5

of our clients (with

for all or part of the year

8

10

children)

female)

clients have been on state-funded

been in occasional contact

33

new clients

clients have moved to state-funded

NASS support away from Southampton

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clients have been granted leave to remain

Our clients come from

22

different

countries

Eritrea, Zimbabwe and Iran are the countries of origin for the

largest

number of clients

39

trained visitors have befriended

and supported clients –

9

of these are

new members who were trained as visitors in March

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Client stories Melanie When we first met Melanie she had been refused asylum and she and her baby son were homeless and destitute. We found a small room for them and provided money for food and basic necessities. A fresh claim for asylum was refused, but Melanie was eventually granted limited leave to remain under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which gives a right to family life.

However this was granted with no recourse to public funds.

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She has found a full time job and with careful budgeting is able rent her own flat. However she does not receive the benefits to which most single mothers on her income are entitled. Melanie is an excellent mother, plays a full part in the life of the community and contributes generously to the success of SWVG events. She will have to apply for further leave to remain at the end of this year. Her salar y will be totally inadequate to meet the fee of £649 which must accompany her application and the new government health levy of £500. SWVG will help with these fees.

Alesha Alesha fled Zimbabwe in 2003 as a result of political violence caused by government repression and persecution. Her claim for asylum was refused, her partner died and she and her daughter Bella were referred to SWVG, destitute and homeless.

Despite all the physical and emotional trauma, Alesha has always continued to study.

In September 2012 she started a 3-year degree course at Winchester University and in June 2015 celebrated the successful completion of the course. She started a one-year post-graduate course in September.

She made a fresh claim for asylum in 2012 and at the time she was finishing her degree

she was informed her claim had been refused. She currently lives in NASS accommodation with Bella but her future is uncertain and insecure whilst she tries to resolve the problems of her status.

Amir Amir is a refused asylum seeker in his mid 20s. He had been sleeping on the sofa of a family friend, on whom he almost completely depended, with no money of his own and speaking no English. He feared persecution, partly owing to his intention to convert to Christianity before leaving Iran.

SWVG have been supporting him for just over a year, providing a rented room and money for his basic needs. His solicitor

has established that he has learning difficulties and he is now awaiting a final report that will provide a specific diagnosis that hopefully will support his fresh claim.

Amir’s confidence and well being have significantly improved since he became our client and he has thrived at Avenue St Andrews drop-in centre. He has joined the English conversation class and he benefits from informal language sessions with an SWVG volunteer. He is now a regular badminton player and played a major role in the SWVG summer barbecue. In October he fulfilled a dream and was baptised.

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Changing times Everyone will be aware that the government has decided to reduce the number of migrants, including asylum seekers, who come to the UK. It has set a target of fewer than 100,000 migrants a year entering the UK and seeks to deter people from coming here by creating a hostile environment for all migrants, including asylum seekers. New government policies are already having a serious and detrimental effect on the asylum seekers and refugees who are our clients.

These changes are impacting on our work.

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No recourse to public funds In the past, clients with leave to remain on human rights grounds could work and receive benefits.

The new policy gives limited leave to remain on human rights grounds, but with no recourse to public funds.

Renewal charges for leave to remain and the health levy Individuals with limited leave to remain have to re-apply for renewal, usually ever y 2 ½ years. Many, like Melanie, will find it impossible to pay the new charges and SWVG has decided, without setting a precedent, to provide funds in such cases.

Reduction in Home Office national asylum support payments for children The Home Office used to pay £36.95 per week to each asylum seeker waiting for their application to be decided and £52.96 for each child. From August 2015 the payments for children have been reduced to the same as the adult rate.

The Immigration Bill 2015 This includes a proposal to treat families in the same way as individuals who have been refused asylum and to withdraw support in 28 days. Alesha and her daughter are an example of a family who, if this bill proceeds,

could be placed in a detention centre then deported to the country from which they fled.

Immigration Act 2014 – the right to rent Landlords face severe penalties if they rent a room to anyone without the right to live in the UK. SWVG pays rent to several landlords to provide accommodation for destitute clients, but this legislation may make it impossible for us to support clients in this way. We have sought legal clarification but the position remains unclear.

Assisted voluntary return The Home Office operates an assisted voluntary return scheme for refused asylum seekers. It is proposed to reduce and limit this programme and to end the contract with Refugee Action for ‘Choices’, a one-to-one interview system enabling individuals to explore the pros and cons of return. The loss of this service will have a detrimental effect on some of our clients.

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Behind the scenes Raising funds to support our work Funds come from three main sources – grants, donations and events.

SWVG is very grateful to the grant giving trusts who support our work. Similarly, we are indebted to local organisations, including several churches, and to individuals who support SWVG with generous donations.

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We also run our own fund raising events throughout the year.

Recent events include: l Vanessa Redgrave’s third appearance for SWVG, at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton; l Musicians Anca Campanie, Frank Stack, Helena de Rijke and Jennifer Porcas performing at St. Joseph’s Church in Southampton; l The Northwood String Orchestra with the Concord Singers’ fund raising concert at Avenue St Andrews Church, Southampton; l Winchester College staff concert;

Our annual fundraising members’ night at the Bangkok Brasserie; l Our annual ‘bucket rattle’ outside a Sainsbury’s store in Southampton; l Members and supporters own fund raising initiatives, including sponsored swims, participating in a half marathon and a donation from Southampton University’s Archaeological Symposium. l Our annual sponsored walk in October. l

How you can help P Join us!

P Attend an event P Run an event of your own P If you order goods online, join www.easyfundraising.org.uk with SWVG as your chosen charity. Companies you buy goods from may make small contributions to your charity for each purchase.

P Make a one-off or regular donation either on-line at www.justgiving.com/swvg or by emailing our treasurer: treasurer@swvg-refugees.org.uk

Supporting our visitors The visitors’ role can be demanding and at times emotionally draining. We make sure that all our visitors are equipped by appropriate training and have access to rigorous but flexible support systems.

1. One-to-one support for visitors: each is supported by an experienced colleague who acts as a mentor to provide advice and support.

2. Mutual support is provided through regular visitors’ meetings in small groups where knowledge and experiences are shared.

These ‘support groups’ provide opportunities for ongoing training and raising topical issues.

3. Use of larger groups for initial training and use of general meetings, held every two months, where matters of interest are discussed.

Ongoing training forms part of many of the general meetings, whilst some training, such as legal updates, is offered in separate workshops.

4. Partner organisations, such as CLEAR, and other groups, offer advice and practical help, working as part of a team to support asylum seekers and refugees.

5. Always mindful of confidentiality, visitors draw on the emotional support of families and friends and make use of news and information from the wider world.

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Thank you...

Thank you to all our members who are so generous with their time and commitment. They carry out a huge range of tasks to support the work of SWVG. Thank you to our patrons Miriam Margolyes obe, John Pilkington and Shirley Firth for all their help and advice.

Thank you to the trusts who have made us grants this year; without their support SWVG would not be able to provide support for destitute asylum seekers in Southampton:

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The Bromley Trust Helena Kennedy Foundation Al-Mizan Trust Methodist Fund for Human Need The Tolkien Trust The Observer Charitable Trust Sheba Charitable Trust St Clare and St Francis Trust The A B Charitable Trust The Hilden Charitable Fund The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust The Beatrice Laing Trust The Allen Lane Foundation Thanks too to the following organisations who generously donated to SWVG during the past year:

Bangkok Brasserie Winchester College St Lawrence Church Greening Fulflood Winchester URC coffee bar Southampton Relief in Need Northwood Orchestra St Matthews Church Kingsworthy PCC John Pilkington St Matthew and St Paul Thanks too to all those individuals who have made donations, attended our events, taken part in sponsored events or sponsored others on our behalf.

Particular thanks to Vanessa Redgrave, Jennifer Wiltsie, Mike Outram and John Griffiths who gave their time without any charge to SWVG and provided such memorable performances that attracted large audiences and raised considerable funds. Thank you also to the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, who provided us with the use of their theatre, sold tickets and provided marketing support for our major event.

We give a huge thank you to Winchester College for the free use of halls for several of our events as

well as for collections that have been made after their own concerts. Their support and welcome is highly valued. Thank you to Miff Kayum who hosts our annual Members’ dinner at his Winchester restaurant, the Bangkok Brasserie.

SWVG would not exist without their clients; thank you to them for their bravery, persistence and friendship in the light of all the difficulties that they face.

Thank you to Stefan Lipa who provides us with fundraising advice and to Jo Renshaw of Turpin and Miller LLP who works so hard on behalf of SWVG and individual clients. We were very proud when she was made a Legal Aid Solicitor of the Year. Thanks too to Peter Casson who audits our accounts.

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Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group Patrons Shirley Firth Miriam Margolyes obe John Pilkington Trustees Claudia Glyn Christine Knight Anne Leeming (Chair) Elizabeth Prescott-Decie Angela Sealey Sue Turner Andrew White (Treasurer) Nele van der Wielen

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Secretary Jessica Hasan

Telephone 0750 317 6350

Administrator Xanthe Hackett

Email info@swvg-refugees.org.uk

Charity number 1103093

Website www. swvg-refugees.org.uk

Address Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group PO Box 1615 Southampton SO17 3WF

Annual Review 2014–15

www.swvg-refugees.org.uk