“Upbeat didn’t see my weakness, they saw my potential.” | Every Donation Doubled This Week for Refugees like Damaris

We need to raise £25,000 from the 2nd-9th December so that we can continue to give refugees a warm welcome through our life-giving projects. This week only, every donation will be doubled.

Recently, the news and media have painted very distorted pictures of those seeking asylum and refugees in the UK. They have reduced courageous humans with powerful stories to fear-driven narratives to create political unrest.

We have seen those seeking refuge described as a “problem that needs to be solved” rather than real people in search of safety to rebuild their lives. This negativity, along with riots at hotels, people creating ‘otherness’ in communities, and relentless hate comments, causes many refugees to feel unwelcomed, misunderstood and helpless in a moment where they need compassion the most.

We want to tell a better story. Here at Upbeat, we want to share with you the inspiring stories of participants like Damaris. She and her family made a journey lots of us could not imagine taking, in search of safety, to rebuild their lives.

She bravely shared her story of how Upbeat Communities supported her and her family. Watch the full story below:

We are taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge this year, which means that, thanks to some generous partners, for one week only, every donation made to Upbeat will be DOUBLED. That’s twice the impact of your donation, so we can offer a space of warmth, welcome and compassion to refugees like Damaris in Derby.

We need to raise £25,000 in just seven days so that we can continue to keep the doors of our new, bigger Integration Hub open for those searching for somewhere to call home.

Our Integration Hub is a place where refugees can relax, make friends, and find community. By donating during this week, not only will your donation be doubled, you will be enabling more refugees to access:

• Free English classes: helping to break down language barriers allowing people to integrate into their local community.

• Support sessions and women only groups: many participants arrive to us with a lot of emotional trauma and stress. Our support sessions help to alleviate that, from community walks, Upbeat Women art therapy classes, and friendship building.

• Free warm lunches: offering a place where our participants can eat together, share different cultures and eat a meal that reminds them of home.

Have your donation doubled today, for one week only, so that we can continue to welcome and support refugees in Derby during this climate of hostility:

Why not follow and share the campaign via our social media channels? Together, we can make room for one more around the table this Christmastime.