Sheffield Poem-a-thon inspired me to raise money for ASSIST who support refused asylum seekers here in the city.  My grandfather was a refugee coming from wartorn Russia and l have been moved by the story of his arrival in Liverpool and subsequent struggles to lead a good life, culminating in his premature death by suicide. Many refugees and asylum seekers coming to Sheffield now are in dire need of support and although not born and bred here the warmth of the Sheffield people would lm sure be appreciated as by them as it has been by me, a Lincolnshire lass. Todays asylum seekers are not allowed to work, to register themselves as homeless or to be placed in local authority night shelters. Many become destitute, struggling daily for food, accommodation and clothing. ASSIST says that:

£5 could cover expenses for a weekend’s hospitality for an asylum seeker in need of somewhere to sleep
£17 could cover travel expenses to enable an asylum seeker to get to medical and legal appointments      
£20 could give a vulnerable asylum seeker a week’s ASSIST grant to enable them to buy some food?

On 2nd April, we have a lovely venue for our Poem-a-thon -  the Art House in Backfields - with its own cafe in the city centre. Entry is free and 50 poets will be reading from 10am - 6pm. There will be a bookstall, a tombola with great prizes, tea, coffee, cakes. Please sponsor me or any of the other poets in our team. Any other cash raised through sales on the day will go to charities supporting refugees stranded just across the Channel in Northern France.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.hanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.