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!  

Since 2000, Rewrite has been working with young people to challenge racism and fight prejudices surrounding asylum and migration. We do this by using the arts to bring together young people from different nationalities and background. Through our creative activities, we support young people to improve English language & literacy, build their confidence and develop strong social relationships with their peers.  We run three core projects in South London as well as bespoke activities; working with over 300 young people annually. At the centre of Rewrite's work is our pioneering Creative ESOL project.  Creative ESOL is a  creative language learning project working with newly arrived refugees and migrants to learn English through drama, play, dance, art and music. Our workshops are delivered by a trained ESOL teacher and an experienced drama practitioner who foster a supportive and safe environment for our participants. We believe that young people can effectively learn through play, relaxation and a creative space to express themselves engaging the body.  Once our young people feel confident, they progress onto our other creative projects We bring together young people from different nationalities and backgrounds, to build new friendships whilst learning English. Once they feel confident in language, Creative ESOL graduates can progress onto our Creative Writing group: Free Writers and/or our Youth Theatre: ReACT where they will meet other local young people from their local area. The groups offer opportunities to access cultural spaces in London, work with professional performers and take the stage at least twice a year to showcase their work to public audiences. We make a huge difference to the lives of our service users - as S's story shows S moved to London from Bangladesh in 2014 at the age of 13 knowing no English. Following a Rewrite outreach session at his school, his teachers recommended him to join the Creative ESOL project.  Three years on, S is 16 with a good command of English and is continuing to participate in the CESOL project as a Young Leader. This leadership role has given him the opportunity to give back to CESOL by “supporting the team, behaving well and helping others".  Last year, S progressed on to the React youth theatre project. He made the decision to join this programme to challenge himself further: “I can feel that I’m improving a lot and if I go to React, I can step up … because it’s been a few years now and they helped me a lot so I need to step up to show them I can do it.” “Rewrite is a great option and opportunity for people to come and learn English. Rewrite helped me a lot. I’d like to say thank you a lot for the help. Thank you.” - S The Rewrite team are so proud of S’s progress and are glad to have him as part of our team. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This month, we are raising funds for our Creative ESOL Project. To support our work and help us reach our £5000 target, take advantage of Localgiving’s Grow Your Tenner campaign and donate now to double your money. If you would like to learn more about what Rewrite does, get in touch with Farha on 07575 743103.

The streets and pubs are abuzz with talk of tactics and hat-tricks. Wives are busy explaining the offside rule to their bored husbands and kids in the park are emulating the goal celebrations of their gods...Alli passes to Bale, chipped over to Conor McLaughlin, who rifles it in to the top left hand corner! What makes this year’s European Championships special is that, for the first time since 1982, three of the home nations have qualified for a major tournament – Northern Ireland, England and Wales. When painting our faces ready to support our national teams, red, white or blue or green, we should all also add a dash of colour in honour of our local clubs. No, I don’t mean the big brand, big money teams. I mean the 1000s of grassroots clubs across the country - the colts, wanderers and hawks training on your local common. These clubs not only give us something to cheer on a Saturday afternoon but play a vital part in our local communities. Many of these teams have charitable goals, working with disadvantaged or disabled people or on issues such as social inclusion and promoting healthy lifestyles. Below are just a few of the teams that we support on Localgiving. Why not find a club near you?  Search HERE to find a club near you! Street Football Wales - A social inclusion charity that  improve the lives  for socially excluded people in Wales. SFW aims to: (1) contribute to an end in homelessness and poverty (2) Help to facilitate the integration of socially excluded people back into their community and (3) facilitate healthier, more physically active and mentally well members of society. Northend United Youth FC -  Northern Irish club that is actively involved in promoting cross community integration via the medium of sport. Based in an area of high social deprivation, they target disadvantaged young people from different communities and ethnicities and foster teamwork in all our activities. The Club endorses the fact that sport changes the life of these young people from an early age. Hounslow Hawks -  provides support for people who experience mental illness, live in the London Borough of Hounslow and are in receipt of specialist mental health services. They use football to assist with the individual's recovery journey by aiming to increase self-esteem and confidence, social interaction, reduce social isolation, improve players structure and routines and aid personal development.  Glasgow Girls Football Club - Offer football and coaching to girls aged 7 years of age to our two Woman's team in a fun & safe environment while offering the pathway to a career in playing or coaching. We also offer the chance for girls to lead a healthy lifestyle through sport which benefits them and the community. Mytchatt ‘Football for All’ - Mytchett Athletics FC's "Football for All" project provides physical activities for boys and girls excluded from participation in sport by virtue of their special needs and disabilities. Bangladesh Football Assocation - (London) Using football BFA engages with over 3,000 disavantaged and marginalised children, young people, adults and gives them positive activities to do which keeps them off the street, away from anti-social behaviour, crime, gang violence, vandalism and drugs & alcohol. It then uses its other projects to support the development of young people, inspire and motivate them and supports them into further education, employment and training. St. Matthews Project  - (London) Offers free football and coaching sessions to young people aged 6-21 in the south Brixton (London) area. The majority of participants live on deprived local estates -  67% of members are  receipt of free school meals. The project delivers a wide range of activities, offering support and development opportunities beyond the football pitch. FC United of Manchester - Semi-famous these days, FC United are a community football club owned and democratically run by its members, FC United seeks to change the way that football is owned and run, putting supporters at the heart of everything.  Tadcaster Albion Amature Football Club - Over the winter Tadcaster were hit by the worst flood in the clubs history seeing the Pitch, Clubhouse, Clubshop, Kitchen and the Groundsmans Building all under water, along with thousands of pounds worth of damage which has left the club unable operate on or off the field. The club is at the heart of the community - visiting schools and getting involved in charity projects.  Scarborough Athletic FC - Emerging from the ashes of the 128 year old Scarborough FC, this fans owned football club run teams from age 11 to Seniors, ensuring that all age groups, genders and ethnicities have the chance to play football.    Liked this blog post? You may also be interested in: The Sky is the limit for daring Granny WendyDawn rises over Mount KilimanjaroThe Refugee Crisis: Make a difference on your doorstep