02/09/2020
Bristol Refugee Rights, a charity dedicated to helping those fleeing persecution and war overseas, have launched a fundraiser aiming to secure £5,700. The money is to be allocated to Pride Without Borders, an initiative working with local asylum seekers who are LGBTQ. They say “ our project PRIDE WITHOUT BORDERS provides a weekly support group, wellbeing phone calls and support with evidencing asylum claims. We are LOUD & PROUD of this extremely successful project, but we need your help to continue this crucial work. “. Bristol Refugee Rights gives an idea of how harsh life is for people feeling persecution in the current “hostile enviroment” created by the United Kingdom's government and the tabloid media. Contrary to Daily Mail type claims of refugees raking in benefits, asylum seekers have just under forty pounds a week to live on, are in unstable and temporary housing, and in addition, may be housed with people who are openly homophobic. They then have to contend with the Home Office which frequently fails to believe that they are gay, bi or non-heterosexual. Bristol Refugee Rights is providing an advice service hotline three days a week for asylum seekers and refugees during Covid-19 Lockdown. They provide food, housing application support, devices, data, medical emergency support and hardship funds. In addition, PRIDE WITHOUT BORDERS team call up to 30 individuals each week to provide wellbeing services and combat isolation and respond to mental health emergencies. Their PRIDE group have multiple online platforms for daily communication as well as weekly support meetings. If you are looking for a cause to support, or a way of giving back to the international gay and LGBTQ communities, then perhaps this is one way. For more information, here is the web page you need: avivacommunityfund.co.uk/brrpride. And you can also learn more about this worthwhile campaign at the website of the independent newspaper B247.
