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English Language Assistance Fund

Imagine for a moment that you have to leave your home and travel to another country, possibly with your family, possibly alone. You may have been forced to leave your whole life behind and start again because of things completely outside of your control.

You speak three languages. Unfortunately, you do not speak the one that you need right now in this country. You might live in a shared dormitory with other people also waiting to hear if they will be allowed to remain in the country or if they will be refused.

An example of accommodation in Crystal Palace where multiple asylum seekers were crammed into tiny living conditions.

You receive a card with a daily allowance of less than £5, which can only be used for basics. You are not permitted to work or handle cash until you are processed, which takes months, sometimes years.

This is the reality that faces thousands of people in our country. They are sitting in the middle of it, surrounded by uncertainty. More than anything, they want to start rebuilding their lives.

One of the most important and time-consuming things that many asylum-seekers and refugees need in the UK, is access to English lessons to help with their application process and beyond. This is where we come in.

We do not need to pay for English tutors. Qualified ESL teachers like myself are already eager to donate time and skills to teach groups for free.

Venues that would normally cost £20-40 to hire have agreed to reduce their prices to a fraction of that to help us with our work.

What we really need help with is materials and transportation costs. As we mentioned, asylum seekers are not allowed to handle cash or work whilst they are being processed, but they are spread across Manchester. They can't buy or hire cars or bicycles to get to the free lessons.

 The cost breakdown of a single English lesson is as follows:
£10 - Venue hire
£48 - Bus day ticket x12
£5- Refreshments
£8 - Stationery and teaching materials
£Free - Teacher Hire

Total: £71

That's less than £6 per person, per lesson!

Other people are working on securing a limited number of free bus passes from the city bus companies, but in the meantime, we would massively appreciate any help you can provide.

People are ready to work hard to make this happen; all we are asking for is a small donation to help us bring it together.

Thank you for your help and for sharing this with others!

-Max and Holly

Organizer

Max Sumner
Organizer

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