We are two friends appealing for help for our exceptional friend to stay in the UK.

Rachelle was given the opportunity in 2017 to come over to the UK as a live-in nanny with her two children. Several insurmountable conditions, including legal battles, should have taken years to overcome, but within three months of the job offer, Rachelle and her kids had Visas to enter the UK! Rachelle and the kids settled here for about a year; they had to return to Canada and were deeply unhappy there and felt a longing to return. They returned and were able to remain in the UK again due to several fortuitous events.

Fast forward three years, she has a flat, a job, a dog – essentially, she has a lovely, settled life over here, and her children have a secure, happy life.

Our appeal is this – Rachelle needs to raise £11,000 for her Visas and mandatory health surcharge to stay in this country and continue the safe life she has made for herself and her kids. As a single mum, Rachelle is proud and self-sufficient, she has never received any child support, and she gets zero benefits from UK Govt. £11k is a tall order. We say she is exceptional because, having never left North America before and having emerged from some pretty traumatic situations, she has somewhat risen from the ashes. She is the humblest, most generously spirited, creative, funniest human being to grace this planet. She would give you the shirt off her back, so being in a position of asking for help does not come easy (that's why we got involved).

We are asking for donations a little to help Rachelle and her kids remain in the sanctuary they have created.

We mentioned that we’re two friends appealing to help our friend at the start. One of us (Bronwyn) shares similar challenges in relation to being a single mum in the UK. Whilst pregnant on holiday in the UK, circumstances outside of my control resulted in settling in the UK. 5 yrs ago, I left what had become a problematic situation and relationship and was forced to make a life for myself and my son far from home in the UK. I, too, must fulfil specific Visa requirements to remain in the UK. I’ve never received government benefits or child support payments from my son's father. At a crucial time of needing a miracle, a benefactor gifted me a monthly allowance for eight months to give me breathing space to figure things out. It was one of the most challenging things I've ever done. I was independent, proud, and embarrassed at the idea of taking their money. The critical points that changed my mind were ‘if I didn’t accept this, it would prevent someone the gift of giving’, and more potently, it wasn’t entirely about me; it was about my son. And so, this involved me accepting that reducing money-related stress would result in my being able to better focus on his needs and my well-being’. And so, this cause is EXTREMELY close to me; I have my own experience of this, and I understand the details of Rachelle's plight intimately. Had it not been for the help I received along the way, my life would be very different. Accepting that help was one of the most humbling moments of my life.

Rachelle finds it challenging to accept that we are doing this for her, let alone receiving money from others, especially when people are worse off. It pains us to imagine how life for Rachelle and her kids would look if they did not get this support. We cannot sit here and do nothing. Rachelle and her children have contributed something extraordinary to our lives; Rachelle is an outstanding human who fights for justice and a better life for herself, her children, and those around her. She is an inspiration and a gift to our lives. Our hearts are open with hope and love for what possibilities lie ahead if this exceptional human gets help at this time.

On overhearing what we were doing, Rachelle’s 11-year-old son Harlow contributed, ‘if we have to go back to Canada, we’d have to leave our dog behind'.

Again, we request you donate a little to help her, and her kids remain in the sanctuary they have created here.

Thank you for your time and interest

xxxx Bronwyn & Susan

Here are two blog posts written by Rachelle & her daughter, which will let you into a little more of their worlds; they are WONDERFUL!

Random Acts of Kindness by Jazzlyn

Perfectly Imperfect by Rachelle