This winter, let’s make sure families know they aren’t alone.

Right now in Glasgow, people seeking safety are facing the coldest months of the year with nowhere to turn. This isn’t what Glasgow stands for. We’re a community that supports others and doesn’t leave people at the margins. But we can’t say we welcome everyone when people who have come here to build a life can’t access the basics.

Many people seeking asylum and refugees supported by the Govan Community Project are living in destitution.

They have no access to public funds, no right to work, and no way to cover the basics like food or warm clothing.

They’ve fled danger to find safety here, but instead are left struggling to survive.

Over the past year, demand for our support has reached critical levels. Your donation can make a real difference.

£25 will provide a supermarket voucher for an individual.

£50 will provide a supermarket voucher for a family.

£6 pays for someone to access travel support.

£6 will provide a weekly shop at a pantry.

Some of the donations will also be used to fund our community meals. These are free and inclusive meals available to anyone in the community. They are an essential service that not only gives people a warm meal but also the opportunity to connect with people and make them feel less isolated.

Together, we can make sure no one is left out in the cold this winter.

Please donate today to support people seeking safety through the Govan Community Project.

If you only read the headlines, you would think that our communities are deeply divided and that people don’t look out for each other. We know this isn’t true. We work with amazing volunteers who support our activities and help people seeking asylum know that they are, and always will be, welcomed here. 

Freddie, a volunteer worker for our Homework club, wrote about why he volunteers with GCP and why this is so important. 

I’ve been a volunteer at GCP’s Homework Club every Wednesday for a little over a year now. I help out with both the primary school and the secondary school homework club. The sessions are centred on providing a fun and safe space to learn. As the name suggests, homework is a priority within the club, covering every subject matter. However, there is always an opportunity towards the end for group games and outdoor activities (if the weather allows it!). 

I see my role in Homework Club as a way to positively influence the children, helping them to develop confidence and express themselves in their learning and social skills. The feeling of community, so central to GCP, is certainly at the heart of the environment we create.

I decided to volunteer because I hold a deep conviction for justice and equality, and I feel it is right that I play a small role in helping to protect these principles for those who are vulnerable when they are so often violated by governments at home and abroad. 

Since my first meeting with Petra (Volunteer Coordinator), I have been impressed by the level of services offered by GCP. From the men’s group, to the bike scheme, to the homework club, it really offers the community something for everyone. We are so connected as a team, even when there is so much variety in the activities and events taking place. 

I also volunteer with GCP because of the campaigning. As a charity, GCP are unafraid to call out the highest levels of leadership, and we proudly emphasise our diversity in a time where politics so often attacks it.

Frankly, I am disgusted by the rising anti-migrant rhetoric.  In reality, no matter how much politicians hide behind divisive lines, the root cause is racism, xenophobia and islamophobia, and it should be called out as such. That’s why it’s so important for charities like the GCP to not only exist but grow, as they highlight the very best of what migrants and refugees can offer Glasgow and beyond. 

If you also want to support charities bringing communities together, you can check out our volunteer opportunities or consider donating to our winter appeal!

We Stand with Refugees

Over the past year, we have seen the policy on asylum and migration become more hostile and inhumane, and further from compassionate policies based on human rights. Now, the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has announced further policies which will further degrade the safety and well-being of people seeking protection in the UK. 

This announcement denies people seeking safety the stability they need to make a life in the UK. Instead, it feeds the idea that people trying to make a life for themselves in the UK are outsiders rather than future colleagues, neighbours and friends.

The proposed changes to policy include:

• People granted refugee status would have to reapply to remain in Britain every two-and-a-half years. If their country has been deemed ‘safe’ in that time period, their status may not be renewed.
• Refugees could be stuck in this process for 20 years before they can apply for permanent residence. 
• Restricting the right to family reunion.
• Making it even more difficult for people seeking asylum to access accommodation and support.
• Changes to human rights law, limiting the use of Article 8 (Right to Private and Family Life) and reviewing the application of Article 3 (Prohibition of Torture and Inhumane Treatment).

The Home Secretary said that this is necessary because “illegal migration is dividing the country”. But we know that it’s actually these racist, chaotic and unworkable policies that are dividing our communities. 

It is more important than ever to vocally and proudly support refugees and people seeking asylum. Every day, we support people fleeing conflicts who are simply trying to rebuild their lives here, and we aren’t alone. We stand with many other charities, community groups, and their supporters who believe refugees should always be welcomed here. 

We need compassionate asylum policies that keep families together and allow people to be part of communities. If we want communities to feel connected and confident, the stories we tell and the policies we push need to bring people in, not push them further to the margins.

 

Tell your MP: Compassion Not Cruelty.

Read Free Movement’s Explainer on the proposed policy changes.