Support Nia After Being Made Homeless

Video of Nia wishing you all a Merry Christmas

Greetings all! My name is Olivia and I am fundraising for Nia Ward, who was recently made homeless and is now situated at St George's Crypt. Nia was born in St Kitts in 1952 and migrated to Leeds to join her parents in the early 1960s. From a young age she has dedicated herself to activism across Britain. She was a member of the Fasimbas in south east London, and in 1976 she participated in the defence committee that managed to acquit ten young Black men on trial for a Bonfire night uprising - a landmark ruling against police brutality in Yorkshire. Nia has since been involved in numerous anti-racist and social justice organisations, and frequently worked with notable activists such as John La Rose, Menelik Shabazz, and Darcus Howe, however, like many Black women involved in anti-racist activism outside of London, she has never received sufficient recognition.

Nia was made homeless in September 2021 when she was forcibly evicted from her home in Chapeltown (Leeds) despite being an amputee and confined to a scooter or Zimmer frame. Her parents - as first-generation African-Caribbean migrants - worked incredibly hard to secure that house during the 1950s, and the past few months have been incredibly painful for her. I'm delighted that Nia is now doing much better, and she has told me that she is very happy with the support she has received from St George's Crypt. She has returned to providing assistance for undergraduate students with their studies, and she is determined to leave a lasting legacy. It is Nia's dream to continue her PhD but she cannot apply for a maintenance loan from the government because she is aged 69 - the government website states that students over the age of 60 cannot apply. I've set up this GoFundMe to provide financial assistance for Nia not only due to her situation, but so that generations of Britons can also have the opportunity to thank her for her contributions. As a young person I'm incredibly grateful for what Nia has done for the community over the years, and I think that it is time for the rest of us to assist her!

Nia is happy to hear from people who would like to know more about her story. She has asked me to share her phone number: 07725 055972. Alternatively, feel free to contact me through this fundraiser