It is a known fact that the UK has seen a spike in youth violence, particularly knife crime, over the last couple of years. Sadly, the news has become all too familiar: another grinning picture of a lost kid, another grieving parent’s pleas for the violence to end, another youth worker discussing the impact of local government cuts, another politician with a soundbite playing to his or her agenda. Most of us, read these ‘by-numbers’ articles, feel a pang of sadness, anger or guilt – and then move on with our lives, much as we do when we hear about a famine or war in the global south. Sometimes however the reality of the situation is driven home a little harder. Last year a 16 year old was shot-dead one road from my house in Tulse Hill in South London. On this occasion it was impossible to ignore the deafening-silence of the neighbours and friends stood behind the police tape. Then, just a matter of days ago, my friend’s son, who is 15, was threatened at knife-point and interrogated about whether he had any gang affiliation. This happened just yards from his house - in broad day-light. My friend’s voice trembled as she told me that, what made this so hard was that this had happened in the very place that both she and her son had been brought up – the place they call home. Nowhere felt safe anymore. Like thousands of young people in London and across the UK, my friend’s son is now approaching adulthood in a state of fear and faces stark questions around how to remain safe in this environment. Of course, there is not single cause or single solution. The government, police and schools undoubtedly have huge roles to play, particularly when it comes to addressing the underling socio-economic issues at play. However, in many cases it is the people living and working in the affected communities who have the best understanding of the dynamics on the ground and therefore the best solutions for tackling these issues at the local level. At Localgiving we work with grassroots organisations across the UK who work tirelessly, to tackle youth and gang violence and its multiple causes. Many of these groups have been set up by people who have first-hand experience of these issues, some by parents of victims and some by former gang members themselves. These groups are embedded in their communities and are therefore, not only acutely aware of the specific dynamics of the situation in their area, but also find it far easier to gain access to, and the trust of those they aim to help. This is a particularly important factor, given that many of the communities most adversely affected by the uptick in youth violence have also experienced a break-down in trust with police and local authorities. The type and level of support offered by these grassroots groups varies considerably. Many services are tailored to the specific needs of the young people they work with and communities they work in. Some groups provide peer-to-peer support, some provide safe spaces for healing, some help secure safe, stable housing and provide their young people with training and education opportunities. One thing they all offer however is hope. Hope that there is a way out of the current cycle of violence and evidence of the tangible difference that people can make in their own communities – even when faced with the most painful and seemingly intractable social problems. Below are some of the amazing groups on Localgiving who work to tackle youth violence and its causes.  Jags Foundation (Croyden, London) Real Action (Kensington, London) St. Matthews Project (Lambeth, London) Aik Saath - Together As One (Slough) The New Cross Gate Trust – “carrying knives costs lives” campaign (London) Safe (Oxford) Newark Youth London (Newark London) Prospex (Islington, London) Copenhagen Youth Project (Islington, London) Lambeth Action for Youth (Lambeth, London) C2C Social Action (Northampton) Fitzrovia Youth In Action (Camden, London) Fast Project (Battersea, London) Sports4Health CIC (London) The Reasons Why Foundation (London) The Jan Trust (Haringay, London)

It is impossible not to be moved by the tragic scenes taking place in the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe – the crammed trains and boats, hauntingly reminiscent of our not-too-distant history. Images of desperate people, making treacherous journeys to escape war-torn regions. Many of us want to do our bit in this time of great human need. However, we can’t all be handing out provisions in Budapest, Kos or Calais. So, how then can we help? There are many larger charities, national and international, that have a proven track record in supporting refugees - UNHCR, Refugee Action and the  British Red Cross to name a few. These organisations provide exceptional emergency support and advocacy. However, much of the long term support required by asylum seekers and refugees is provided by small, locally-based community groups and solidarity organisations. Once in the UK, refugees and asylum seekers face multiple, complex issues – be it trauma, exploitation or social isolation. These grassroots organisations provide the essential support needed to empower refugees and enable them to fully integrate and flourish. Support local groups As a member organisation for local charities and community groups, Localgiving is proud to work with many of these amazing groups from across the country. To highlight just a few: RETAS provide education and training to refugees and asylum seekers in West Yorkshire to help them rebuild their lives in the UK Embrace, based in Stoke-on-Trent, provide a drop-in service for female asylum seekers and their children across Staffordshire who are experiencing hardship and social isolation NNRF work with and for refugees and asylum seekers across Nottinghamshire, offering practical advice, information, support and friendship CLEAR provide advice and education to both settled and developing refugee communities in Southampton Slough Immigration Aid Unit empower people by ensuring they know, and can access their legal rights under immigration law Ourmala support refugee and asylum-seeking women living in London to find strength and hope through yoga These groups all rely on their local communities – for both volunteering and financial support. To find out more about how you can get involved with groups supporting refugees and asylum seekers in your area, you can search for relevant charities here. You don’t have to be in Calais to play your part  sometimes the biggest difference you can make, even in times of international crises, is on your own doorstep.     Update (07/09/15): A huge thank you to everyone who has donated or offered  support to any of the charities above so far. I am just updating this blog to let you know about a new member of Localgiving, The Bike Project. This group receive donations of second-hand bikes, fix them up at their community workshops, and donate them to refugees and asylum seekers in London.       

Leyla Hussein is an anti-FGM activist, psychotherapist, and founder of the Dahlia Project.  I underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) when I was seven years old. I was held down by women I trusted and it left deep scars physically and emotionally. However, it was not until many years later, when I gave birth to my daughter, that anyone talked to me about FGM and offered me help. This practice is shrouded in secrecy and shame with too many women suffering in silence through many years of pain. I was one of these women until a brave health professional asked that all important question, “Have you been cut?”.  That was the start of a long and often difficult journey which will last for the rest of my life. I had to face up to what had been done to me and how it had affected me. FGM cast a shadow over all my life choices and it was only after I began therapy that I could understand this. FGM cannot be undone but survivors can heal. We had to be strong to survive what was done to us and I see that strength every day in the women I now work with. I founded the Dahlia Project to help other women like me. As I came to terms with my experience of FGM I was horrified at how little recognition there was of how this devastating practice affects women psychologically. There were no specialists we could turn to and most of our GPs or other sources of help had little knowledge of FGM. At Dahlia Project we break the silence and provide a safe space and therapeutic support for women living with FGM. These are often women who have no access to other help. They are vulnerable, come from minority communities, are under-represented at all levels of government and policy making and yet they suffer such pain and are in urgent need of our help. They are also the most important asset we have in ending FGM but still they are ignored and not seen as a priority. This is not about austerity or any other easy political soundbite. Political parties in the UK all signed up to stand against FGM decades ago and progress has been made clarifying the law and raising awareness. However, none of them have properly invested in the community based work which is where we will change opinion and end the practice. There are many examples of good practice but these fall by the wayside due to lack of funding and time after time we must start over building relationships and trust. I write this blog as Dahlia Project is under threat. This project is close to my heart and I am so proud of what it has achieved. Working with the incredible women I meet at the project, who have gone through so much, and seeing them heal and support each other, is inspiring. Their determination that FGM ends with them and that their daughters will not be cut fills me with hope for a better future. Working with women who have been cut and supporting them so they can protect their daughters is how we stop FGM. My daughter lives free from FGM because I was helped and I can now protect and empower her. Over the last 3 years the Dahila Project has helped many women but it is the tip of an iceberg as an estimated 137,000 women and girls in England and Wales have undergone FGM and 60,000 girls are at risk. Awareness of FGM amongst the public has risen in recent years but the situation remains bleak for FGM survivors. Earlier this year, the Acton FGM Clinic which was one of the few community based clinics in London for FGM survivors was forced to close due to a lack of funding. Now Dahlia Project is also under threat. Unless we find new sources of income Dahlia Project will no longer be able to provide its unique and life changing services. Politicians from all political parties talk about how they are committed to tackling FGM but to many of us working directly with the women and girls it effects their words offer little hope while the specialist clinics are closing. Only last week at Prime Minister’s Questions Theresa May once again made a strong statement against FGM. While she was speaking we were working to launch the new appeal for emergency funding for the Dahlia Project. Rather than warm words and a pat on the back for being brave what FGM survivors really need is long term investment in the services which help them. Please share this blog and our appeal to help save this valuable service. We must also pressure for a long-term commitment to provide support for FGM survivors. Write to your MP and local councils asking what they are doing to ensure funded, specialist, community based services for FGM survivors. Sometimes being angry or upset about injustice is not enough and we need to focus that anger into positive action which will bring about change.   Found this blog post useful? You may also like:    Local Charity and Community Group Sustainability Report 2016 Pride and Prejudice: Local LGBTQI groups need your support!  

Amid the special edition rainbow bank cards and coffee cups, it is very easy to forget that today’s Pride celebrations have their roots in the Stonewall riots and the wider fight for justice for LGBTQI+people. There is no doubt that there have been incredible strides forward for LGBTQI+ rights over the last quarter of a century  – indeed the very fact that is has become so beneficial for big business to show its support for Pride is testament to how far we have come. However, we must not be fooled into believing the fight is in any way won. Homosexuality remains illegal in 74 countries, while hate crime and day-to-day prejudice remain issues even in the most progressive countries. Within the UK, one particularly pressing issue is the fight to protect the rights and ensure the wellbeing of LGBTQI+ asylum seekers. This week, I spoke to Leila Zadah of the UK  Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) about their work to support LGBTQI+ asylum seekers and  advocate for their needs and rights. What is UKLGIG's mission and what support do you provide to LGBTQI+ asylum seekers?  "Our mission is to support LGBTQI+ through the asylum process. We are the only charity in the UK that provides specialist support services, legal advice and information, and conducts policy and advocacy work. We provide psychosocial and practical support to LGBTQI+ people throughout the asylum process. We also provide specialist legal advice and information. We visit LGBTQI+ people if they are claiming asylum and have been placed in a detention centre. We also advocate for changes in Home Office policy and practice, including an improvement in the quality of decision-making in asylum claims based on sexual orientation or gender identity, an end to the detention of LGBTQI+ people and safer accommodation." How many  LGBTQI+ people seek asylum in the UK per year and where do the majority of these claims come from? "Home Office figures published in November 2018 revealed that around 2,000 people apply for asylum each year because of their sexual orientation. Most applications are from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria. The Home Office data did not include claims on the basis of gender identity but they have committee to publishing that data in future." Why do LGBTQI+ people need specific support through the asylum process? In what way does the UK asylum system  disadvantage LGBTQI+ people? "LGBTQI+ people who are seeking asylum are invariably highly marginalised in society. They may have been rejected by their families, friends and communities because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. They often wish to avoid places where other people from their home countries are present for fear of discrimination or harassment; and they are not always welcome in LGBTQI+ spaces because of racism or their immigration status. Many experience feelings of profound shame and/or internalised homophobia, biphobia or transphobia. Many have also experienced psychological, physical or sexual violence. They often have low self-esteem and low confidence, which impact on their ability to present their asylum claims. Most mainstream refugee organisations do not provide specific services to LGBTQI+ asylum seekers or information tailored to their needs. Claiming asylum on the basis of your sexual orientation or gender identity is inherently difficult. To be recognised as a refugee, you have to show that you have a well-founded fear of persecution. If your fear of persecution is based on your sexual orientation or gender identity, you also have to prove that you are lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, trans or intersex. This would be difficult for any person, but it is even harder if you have been trying to hide your sexual orientation or gender identity because your family, society or country won’t accept it and may harm you. It is also very difficult to overcome feelings of shame and internalised homophobia, biphobia or transphobia to be able to talk about your identity – particularly if any discussion of sexuality is taboo in your culture – to a figure of authority who is going to decide if you can stay in the country. Unfortunately, sometimes asylum decision-makers in the Home Office use stereotypes to try to decide if someone is LGBTQI+. Sometimes they don’t recognise the importance of cultural context. One caseworker in the Home Office once said that to try to establish someone’s sexual orientation they would “look at how they’ve explored their sexuality in a cultural context – reading Oscar Wilde perhaps, films and music”. UKLGIG is releasing a report later this month that looks at the reasons why LGBTQI+ asylum claims are rejected. People can receive it by signing up to our newsletter or following us on social media (see below). People who are seeking asylum are not allowed to work. If they need accommodation, the government will normally provide a shared room in a shared house. LGBTQI+ people in shared asylum accommodation often experience discrimination, harassment and abuse from their housemates.  People who are seeking asylum can also be held in immigration detention centres. LGBTQI+ people who are seeking asylum find themselves trapped among people who may exhibit the same prejudices and discrimination towards them as people in the country from which they are fleeing. Our joint research with Stonewall, No Safe Refuge, showed that they experience harassment and abuse as a result. Many suffer long-lasting effects on their mental health." What are you doing to celebrate Pride 2018 and can people join you? "We will be marching at Pride in London on Sat 7 July. We also have a joint event the Amnesty UK LGBTI Network and African Rainbow Family at UK Black Pride on Sunday 8 July." How can people support your work in future?  We are always looking for Volunteers and you can Donate Here. If you’d like to be involved in our governance, you can become a Member of UKLGIG. Download a form Here.   People can also: Visit our website Sign up for our newsletter  Follow us on Twitter @uklgig Like our Facebook page