Unable to heat their homes, keep up with mortgages and rental payments or maintain a healthy varied diet, they’re struggling to support themselves and their families.
At Islamic Relief UK, we recognise the increasing needs of communities at home. We’re working with a range of national and local partners to reach the most vulnerable in the UK and build resilience against poverty to ensure that no one goes hungry, cold or neglected.
Give a Gift: Tackling Isolation and Building Capacity
Here in the UK, refugees and asylum seekers face a range of economic, social and cultural challenges to integration. For new arrivals especially, finding employment, building a social circle and adjusting to a new cultural environment can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re committed to supporting refugee and asylum-seeking communities across the UK to find their roots and flourish, ensuring that they have access to social communities and dedicated advice and support.
We’ve partnered with Give a Gift to support their work with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Communities (MEMEC), offering critical advice and signposting to refugee, asylum-seeking and vulnerable communities in Leeds in partnership with Positive Action For refugees and Asylum Seekers (PAFRAS). Through a weekly drop-in service, vulnerable men, women and children are offered key support to help them overcome a range of struggles.
We provide food, temporary accommodation and critical emotional support, including a safe place to socialise and interact with others from similar backgrounds. Offering day trips and activities such as arts and crafts and knitting, we’re helping individuals and families keep mentally and physically healthy, leaving behind trauma and emotional stress.
In addition to supporting refugees and asylum seekers, we’re also supporting homeless men in partnership with West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network (WYDAN). By offering practical advice and hosting a weekly social activity group at a local community café, homeless men have a safe space to share their experiences and find a listening ear amongst peers.
Just one of many people we’ve helped is Salim* who found himself increasingly isolated. Alhamdulillah, he now attends a men’s social group at a local community cafe which gives him an important opportunity to meet others and socialise.
What’s more, Salim is under the Grace Hosting project where he is provided with a roof over his head and a hot meal. He’s since been granted visitation to see his daughter because of the support Give a Gift provided him with masha’Allah. Salim is delighted with the support he’s received:
“I want to be independent, by coming to the men’s social group, I can be myself and not be judged. Jazakallah khair to you all, without you I would not be able to see my daughter.” (Salim*, service user)
Insha’Allah, the service will continue to support Salim and many more vulnerable people in their time of need.
*Name has been changed to protect the individual’s identity
Find out more
Islamic Relief works with a range of partners to build resilience to poverty here in the UK. Find out more about our other UK progammes below: