REFUGEE CRISISThe Diocese ofArundel &Brighton Newsletter

Autumn 2018

Welcome to the FourthEdition of our RefugeeCrisis Newsletter.The need is still great, so please keeppraying, and do all you can to helpeither financially or by volunteering ina local project or one listed in thisnewsletter.

Pope Francis writes in EvangeliiGaudium ʻI exhort all countries to agenerous openness which, ratherthan fearing the loss of local identity,will prove capable of creating newforms of cultural synthesis.How beautiful are those cities whichovercome paralysing mistrust,integrate those who are different andmake this very integration a newfactor of development. Let's worktogether to welcome refugees intoour communities so by welcomingthem we 'are called to recognise thesuffering Christ.' (n.104)

My name is Tessa Ricketts andI'm the new part time SocialAction Adviser, working as partof the Diocesan Formation Team.I am working one day a weekfocussing on Justice & Peace andone day establishing a CaritasSocial Action Network in ourdiocese.

I live in Shoreham and am aparishioner of Our Lady Queen ofPeace, Adur Valley Parish. Someof you may know me from myprevious role as Social ConcernsCoordinator in Brighton and Hovedeanery or from the SussexMary's Meals Group I helpedestablish.

I look forward to meeting someof you at the annual Justice &Peace Assembly on January26 which this year will look athuman trafficking and how wecan combat it.

Inside thisissue

IntroducingNew SocialActionAdviser

Thank you so muchfor your continuedgenerosity andprayers for therefugee communitiesacross the Diocese.

With every Blessing,

“Man has the right to leave his native land forvarious motives and also the right to return inorder to seek better conditions of life inanother country.”

St John Paul II, Laborem Excercens, 1981

'Make humanity your journey and you will arrive at God' - St Augustine

“ “For I was hungry and yougave me something toeat, I was thirsty and yougave me something todrink, I was a strangerand you invited me in, Ineeded clothes and youclothed me, I was sickand you looked after me,I was in prison and youcame to visit me."Matthew 25: 25-36

Share The Journey

Voices In Exile

Parishes For Peace

Integrating Into UK

The Migrant Fund

Jesuit RefugeeService

Worthing 4 Refugees

How To Donate

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Walk a mile in my shoes -so many have done so, will youjoin them?'Share the Journey' is the global Catholic campaign,launched by Pope Francis, to draw attention to theplight of refugees and migrants, those people acrossthe world forced to leave their homes. CAFODinvited parishes, communities and individuals toorganise walks, to stride in solidarity with ourbrothers and sisters. The goal was to walk a total of24,900 miles - once around our world - to send thestrongest possible message to our elected leaders,that Britain must be at the forefront in theforthcoming compacts on Immigration andRefugees.

And how you have stepped forward! St. Thomas ofCanterbury parish in Mayfield was first out of theblocks in our diocese. Then from the Promenade inWorthing to a fancy-dress walk by St Peterʼs inGuildford. From an ecumenical St Leonards-on-Seato half of the Weybridge Deanery, great walks havetaken place or are scheduled to happen. We've notonly walked around the world already but now weʼreall going for twice round!

Is your parish or community involved? For details ofhow to organise a walk, whether for your parish orschool, visit www.cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Share-the-Journey. Or maybe you could do a simple walkon your own or with friends and family? There is alsoa petition you can sign on our website from thecomfort of your own home.

What could be more pleasant than a stroll outdoorswith like-minded people? What could be moremeaningful than to show compassion andunderstanding to our world's reluctant refugees?

Ian Hamilton

The Government's programme for Syrian refugeesdoes not include unaccompanied children. However,Councils have an ongoing need for more foster carersacross all groups of children who, for whateverreason, are unable to live with their parents orextended families. They include unaccompaniedasylum-seeking children.

To find out more about fostering visit:

Brighton and Hove -www.fosteringinbrightonandhove.org.uk01273 295444

East Sussex -www.eastsussex.gov.uk/childrenandfamilies/childrenincare/fostering

Surrey -www.surreycc.gov.uk/fosteringandadoption08000 969626

West Sussex -www.westsussex.gov.uk/education-children-and-families/adoption-and-fostering/

Fostering refugee children

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It has been an incredibly busy year for Voices inExile, with many positive changes and challengessince we moved to our new premises in Kemptown,Brighton at the end of 2017.

Our new director Mel Steel has been working hard tobuild a new staff team and to ensure that our coreservices, especially our advice and caseworkservices, are fully operational from our new building.We have continued to provide integration andcasework support to vulnerable Syrian refugeefamilies resettled in Brighton & Hove, and will soonbe welcoming up to 10 new families to be resettledover the next year.

Meanwhile our longest-standing staff member NoraMzaoui has recently moved into a new role asvolunteer coordinator, generously funded by theDiocese. Over the past few months she has recruitedand is now managing a fantastic team of around 30active volunteers providing vital support to our smallstaff team in key frontline and back-office roles.

Highlights of the year include the success of ourongoing mentoring scheme, which provides tailoredone-to-one support to vulnerable refugees andmigrants in need of some dedicated help andguidance. This support includes conversationalEnglish; accompanying and advocacy support for ourmore vulnerable clients to attend importantappointments; and wellbeing activities, including arttherapy, for those who need some additionaltherapeutic support. All mentoring is provided byqualified and trained volunteers.

Another huge success has been a series of life skillsworkshops organised over the summer months inpartnership with the Friends Centre. Aimed primarilyat recently resettled refugees, the workshops havebeen devised to help people get to grips with issueslike managing energy bills; accessing healthcare;using transport; understanding benefits; managingbudgets; housing tenancies; volunteering, jobs anddrafting CVs. Feedback has been extremely positive,with learners reporting that they now have the

2018 Overview &Highlights

confidence to book their own appointments, managetheir energy bills and feel more independent. Theworkshops have been complemented by a series offantastic summer outings for Voices clients and theirfamilies – including guided trips to the Royal Pavilion,up to the top of the i360 tower, and even an intrepid7-mile round walk to Devilʼs Dyke in the middle ofthe heatwave (complete with wheelchairs andchildrenʼs buggies!).

Finally, our relaunch event took place in June,and was an opportunity both to celebrate RefugeeWeek and to highlight the support that Voicescontinues to offer to vulnerable migrants, asylumseekers and refugees from Brighton and Hove,Sussex and Surrey. The event was a great successand well-attended, and featured messages ofsupport from local MPs, music and poetry fromSudanese refugee and long-time Brighton residentBashir Al Gamar, food from the Real Junk FoodProject, and table tennis coaching provided by ourneighbour the Brighton Table Tennis Club. It wasalso a chance for us to thank our incredibly generousfunders and our tireless volunteers, without whomwe would struggle to provide the support sodesperately needed by our vulnerable migrantclients.

Voices In Exile

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Services now running at Voices inExile for refugees, asylum seekers andpeople with no recourse to publicfunds in Sussex and Surrey:

Immigration advice drop-inTuesdays 1.30-3.30pm

Food bank & hardship drop-in service (forpeople with no recourse to public funds)Fridays 11am-1pm

Entrance for drop-in sessions is via St. John theBaptistʼs Church on Bristol Road, BN2 1AP

Phone advice line: 01273 082105 (for help withimmigration, homelessness, welfare benefits)Thursdays 2-4pm

Email advice: please email us onadvice@voicesinexile.org and we will respond assoon as we can.

Donations: we accept donations of food, toiletriesand clothes – please contact us to arrange!

For more information or to make a referral please call01273 328598 or email advice@voicesinexile.org

parishes for peaceA charity that supportsChristian refugees - parish toparish

Two years ago, at the height of the refugee crisis, ourconscience challenged us: we had to respond, nodoubt about it… but how?

We had contacts with Christian parishes in Jordanwhere Iraqi refugees, who had to flee when Mosuland Nineveh were taken by ISIS in 2014, had takenrefuge. We had no time to lose. A group of us fromdifferent areas in the UK went to visit these parishes.We encountered the suffering they had endured intheir hopeful smiles. We were moved to the core bytheir resilience and faith.

We soon set up a registered charity and startedspreading the word through different parishes. Theoutcome, two years later: 10 parishes from thedioceses of Lancaster, Plymouth, Arundel andBrighton and Birmingham are supporting parishes inAmman, Zarka and Madaba. Personal contact andminimum administration expenses are essential tomake sure all our fundraising efforts make adifference to our very good friends in need.

The main concern of the refugees that weʼve come toknow is to move on to a welcoming country. Somefamilies have already been accepted in Australia; butin the meantime we help them with basic needs such

as rent, medical needs school transport, schoollunches and English lessons. The parish of Weybridgeis supporting a garden project in Zarka, where therefugees can grow their own fruit and vegetables. Werecently purchased a water tank that will allowirrigation (see picture of Fr Hani with the new tank). AtChristmas we send Christmas cards and presents.They treasure these cards and the personal contact!

Three parishes and two schools from Arundel andBrighton have linked up with parishes in Jordanthrough Parishes for Peace. The three A & B parishesare Caterham, Thames Ditton and Weybridge and theschools are St. Charles Borromeo and St. GeorgeʼsJunior School and College. A number of other parishesfrom our diocese hope to come on board soon. If yourparish or school would like to get involved, pleasecontact Fr Con Foley by e-mail foleycon@gmail.com

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Plato wrote; Music gives a soul to theuniverse, wings to the mind, flight tothe imagination and life toeverything.Job 23:10 : But he knows every detail of what ishappening to me

Summer 2017We had been working with a new family, Raghad,Firas and Gaby [4 years old]. Mum and Dad aremusicians, mum played in the Syrian NationalOrchestra. They were housed in Eastbourne in Mayby Brighton Emergency Housing in a basement roomof a Hotel.

On June 17th Firas and Raghad played a Syrian pieceat the start of the Networx Annual Review Meeting,[ARM] - it was stunningly beautiful. On June 24th thefamily was moved to a tiny flat in North Street.

A few days later Brighton Emergency housinginformed the family that they had 21 days to provewhy they wanted to stay in Eastbourne and not moveto Wolverhampton. The family had started Englishlessons, Gaby had a place at St Andrew's fromSeptember, he was at Leaps and Bounds NurserySchool, and we had initiated some counselling forhim. Above all they had friends.

I was with Raghad, when she received a call from thelandlord to say that Brighton had ceased paying rentpayments [no mention of the 21 days mentioned lastFriday] and the family had to leave that very day andgo to Wolverhampton! Nothing could be done andthere was nothing to discuss. I left Raghad for acouple of hours and I said Iʼd be in touch at 2pm.

Bob and Carol had attended the ARM and bookedFiras to tune their piano. Raghad phoned him toexplain that Firas could not come as they had tomove to Wolverhampton. Like us, Bob couldnʼt quitebelieve this. So he phoned me. I confirmed it wastrue, they had to leave Eastbourne.

Bob told me that an elderly neighbour for whom theyhad been carers had recently died and her home wasleft to Bob and Carol. It was next door sitting emptyand Raghad and Firas and their son Gaby could livethere for as long as necessary, at no cost. I calledRaghad at 2pm as promised to tell her the goodnews! God is good! Prayers were answered again.Awesome!

So we had an opportunity to get to know Raghad. Idiscovered she used to play viola for the SyrianNational Orchestra. Raghad had been travellingaround Europe in 2016 with eight Orchestracolleagues. They had toured many European capitalcities. When the tour came to an end, they all had aticket left to come to London. They unanimouslyagreed to come and present themselves to theBorder Authority. Once here at Heathrow, theCustoms Officer was somewhat surprised to findnine members of the Syrian National Orchestraseeking asylum. The usual six month processfollowed and eventually they all received theirRefugee Status and the process to bring about FamilyReunion. So it was that we met Raghad, Firas andGaby in the summer of 2017 in Eastbourne.

"We do what God gave us,” Raghad says. “He gave methis talent of music, so I can use it to spread thismessage. I donʼt have a weapon, I donʼt know how touse anything to express my feelings – apart from theviola.”

Integrating into the UK

TheGuardian

Small Grantsfrom the MigrantFundThe Migrant Fund was formed by donations collectedby the Diocese beginning with Bishop Richardʼsappeal in 2015. Funds are allocated by a SteeringGroup which looks to support local organisationsworking with destitute migrants and theresettlement of vulnerable people in our Diocese.

Last year the Migrant Fund Steering Group developeda one-page ʻrapidʼ application form for emergencyfunding up to £500, from appropriate partners. Theform is very straightforward and can be dealt withswiftly so that funds can be made available whenthey are needed.

Ten small grants, totalling just under £5,000, havenow been made from this fund as schools, councilsand organisations supporting refugees have putforward bids for individuals and families in need.

Four of the grants were given for the support ofchildren in schools in Brighton and Hove. Money wasgiven for school uniform and books, for travel toschool and to fund participation in school trips andactivities. These grants support the children insettling in to their schools, helping them toparticipate fully in the life of the community.

A grant was made to Lewes Group in Support ofRefugees and Asylum Seekers to help a family settlein to rented accommodation. The money was usedto acquire second hand furniture, cleaning materialsand domestic equipment.

Applications were received from West Sussex andWoking Councils who work with vulnerable familiesaffected by the Syrian conflict, and grants were givenfor items not funded under other provision. Onegrant was made for baby equipment for a low incomefamily, and another to provide reconditioned laptopsto two families to enable them to access Englishlanguage and employment opportunities.

The fund has also been used to provide small grantsto pay for driving lessons and English lessons foradults being resettled under the Vulnerable PersonsResettlement Scheme.

The Steering Group is hoping to be able to provideup to ten small grants of up to £500 per year on anongoing basis.

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the migrant fund

Prayer for RefugeesLord, who changed the story from stranger to

sibling, equip us to change the story

From frustration to freedom,for those stuck in refugee camps,

From panic to peace,for those separated from families,

From trafficking to safe passage,for those on perilous journeys,

From despair to hope,for hearts weary with grief.

From worry to hospitality,for minds uncertain of change,

From crisis to opportunity,for countries providing a home,

From foreigner to family,as we were welcomed by you.

May we never miss meeting your gaze,in the eyes of our sibling, the stranger.

Amen

Prayer from Christian Aid

Over the last few months it has been difficultto avoid the news stories around individuals who fellvictim to the numerous policies of the so calledHostile Environment Agenda. Firstly, we heard ofmembers of the Windrush generation who had losttheir jobs and been refused healthcare. Then we hadnews stories about those who are indefinitelydetained in one of the UKʼs Immigration RemovalCentres (IRCs), often separated without warningfrom their families and children. And most recentlywe have heard about the asylum seekers in Glasgowwho were threatened with eviction from their homeswith barely enough notice to gather their belongings.Many people are affected by the wide-reachingpolicies of the Hostile Environment and it is withthese people that the Jesuit Refugee Service in the UKworks alongside.

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is aninternational Catholic organisation, present inaround 50 countries, with a mission to accompany,serve and advocate on behalf of refugees and otherforcibly displaced persons. Globally, the work of JRScan be highly varied as each office is missioned toattend to the specific needs of the people it serves,which can be very different from country to country.In the UK JRS works with individuals held indefinitelyat the IRCs at Heathrow airport and men and womenwho have been made destitute by the asylumprocess.

After an initial asylum claim is refused thegovernment support that was provided is cut off.Now subject to the polices of the Hostile

Environment, asylum seekers find themselves unableto work, unable to rent properties, with an increaseddifficulty in accessing free healthcare, and the worryof being detained at any moment. With no supportand no way of making money themselves, asylumseekers become dependent on charities such as JRSUK. JRS provides practical support in the form of amonthly toiletry pack, weekly travel grants and a hotmeal at our weekly Day Centre. For those held indetention, we visit a weekly Welfare Centre to helpindividuals liaise with solicitors and doctors as wellas organising visitors for individuals.

Importantly, we carry out our mission toaccompany in all areas of our work. At this difficulttime for our refugee friends (as we come to knowthem) we provide a listening ear so that our friendscan share their worries and concerns. We walkalongside those we serve, letting them know that nomatter where their journey takes them there isalways someone there by their side through it all.

Find out more: If youʼre interested inlearning more about the work of JRS UK then visit ourwebsite at www.jrsuk.net

Worthing 4 Refugees continues to support twoSyrian refugee families in the area. Both families aresettling and doing well.

They have supported Refugee Week with aphotographic exhibition in Worthing.

Do you know of landlords who could let propertiesfor Syrian refugees? We need a 2 year let at housingbenefit level for new families. We also needaccommodation for a family of 6 from May 2019.

If anyone would like to help support the refugeefamilies, please get in touch via ourwebsite: www.worthing4refugees.org.uk

Gay Jacklin, Worthing 4 Refugees Lead

JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICE

REFUGEES

WORTHIN

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Refugee Crisis

You can donate via a special donation sitedirect to the diocese onlinevisit: www.dabnet.org

Pledge your support today

Full Name

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Contact No.

Parish

I would like to make a donation of £

Pleasemakechequespayable to “DABCEC” (DioceseofArundel&BrightonChristianEducationCentre) andsendtoTessa Ricketts, Social Action Adviser, St Philip HowardCentre, 4 Southgate Drive, Crawley RH10 6RPFortransfersourbankdetailsare:DABCEC,SortCode:40-05-20,A/C:71078151HSBC,PallMallRef:DMF+Surname

Signed:________________________________ Date:__________PleasenotethatthisdatawillbeusedbytheDioceseofArundelandBrighton.Pleasekeepusinformedofanychangestocontactdetailstoupdateourdatabaseaccordingly.Whentheinformationyouhaveprovidedisnolongerrequired,wewilldeleteit fromourdatabase.Thankyou.

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GIFTAIDDECLARATION:DMF ___________________Declarationno.(forofficialuse)

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_________________________________ _______________________________TelephoneNo. EmailAddress

want togift aidmydonationsImake inthefutureorhavemadeinthepast4yearstotheRomanCatholicDioceseof ArundelandBrighton. I amaUKtaxpayerandunderstand that if Ipay lessIncomeTaxand/orCapitalGainsTaxthan theamountofGiftAidclaimedonallmydonations, it ismy responsibility topayanydifference.

DateofDeclaration……………………………………....................

GIFT AID

Ourpriorities for2019are to continue topromote,support andfund local organisations working with destitute migrants. Wealsoaimto:

- identifyavailablepropertieswithinourparishes-continue to support our existing partners in providingstaff and resources to alleviate destitution

The SteeringGroup isagrantmakingbody in relation tomoneydonated to the ʻMigrant Fund .̓ Requests for funding or for theallocation of resources by groups already supporting refugeescanbemade using approved formsand by following an agreedprocess.Formore informationpleasecontact ourcoordinator.

We intend to fund thoseorganisationswhosupport thepriori-tieswehave identifiedandarebest placedtoprovide theseservices.

WethereforecontinuetoencourageyoursupportandTHANKYOUenormouslyforanydonationyoucangive.

More funding isrequired to meet thechallenges ahead

Tessa RickettsSocial Action Adviser

The St Philip Howard Centre,4 Southgate Drive,Crawley,RH10 6RP

tessa.ricketts@dabnet.org

ThisnewsletterwasprintedbyHMPColdingleyReformPrison

Email-jane.ashwood@hmps.gsi.gov.uk

TheDiocesanMigrantFundwasnotusedtocoverproductionanddistributioncostsofthisnewsletter.

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