Dear supporters,

We are hoping to help an 11-year-old girl who has had a very tough start in life. She is highly talented in art, gymnastics and performing arts. From a young age her mother and her had to escape from Iran following threat to life. They have been granted asylum in Britain with leave to remain after which they can apply for British citizenship.

For much of her childhood she has been in high-risk environments of refugee camps, she was trafficked and locked in the boot of the car by the traffickers who separated her from her mother when she was six years old.

When mother and daughter arrived in England their living circumstances were equally challenging. The photograph in the gallery shows you the picture of the bathroom of the house they were placed in by a local authority. The floor had fallen  through to the flat below and the whole structure of the house was unsafe. An infestation of rats meant the child’s life was even more difficult, she could barely sleep at night as the creatures had become brave enough to climb over her whilst she was asleep. She found this experience too overwhelming and it led to her breaking down.

Sharon Hendry the Sunday Times journalist who has championed children’s welfare through her award-winning articles became aware of this girl and mother. Following her advocacy the local authority rehoused mother and daughter in a tiny one room flat. They had no option as to where they would be placed because the decision is made by the local authority. Unfortunately the neighbourhood is very unsafe, with a lot of gang activity and the only education made available to this girl was a large institution which has failed OFSTED inspection three times and is also in an area blighted by gang violence.  The daily commute to school would have been an hour each way every day. As this child is both vulnerable and very attractive potentially she is more at risk of being attacked.

As a result of relentless turmoil over a number of years this child’s mother has developed depression. She is struggling to cope and feels very upset at being unable to care for her daughter to the best of her ability.The mother, was a senior practitioner in the Department of Children in Iran. She is very talented and has great prospects in terms of being able to retrain in England in order to access employment with children. The plan is for her to learn English and go to university. However, currently she is struggling emotionally and financially. Both mother and daughter are diagnosed with complex PTSD. 

A team of volunteers through the Alexandra Wylie Tower Foundation, a registered charity have been offering the girl education and support- but she has been out of school for almost 2 years now on account of Covid and the various difficulties she and her mother have been placed in. 

We made an appeal for a Bursary for the young girl to various schools, and St Swithuns in Winchester came back to us.  They have carefully assessed her to ensure that they could provide for her needs and that she could flourish in the school environment.  Fantastically they have offered a fully funded place at the school. Finally she can look forward to a period of stability and be able to build her confidence through a high-quality education. 

This affords her the safety which is what she has yearned for all her life.

We are now looking to fundraise for her and her mother to be able to live in Winchester and for her to attend the school immediately (they are open for vulnerable and front line children).  We need to raise the money to provide living arrangements for the next six months while we look to arrange something more long term for the next year. Girls cannot board at the school until year seven and at the moment this child is in year 5. That’s why we are looking for a local provision until she gets to board.

This incredible life chance for this young girl, has been made possible through the collective efforts of compassionate individuals and the visionary generosity of the school. We are now seeking to complete the task and are asking all our friends and their friends to help financially so that we can get mother and daughter settled. Since the mother is now on the housing list she will have to keep the London property and she will live there permanently whilst her daughter is at the school. However four nights a week she will be with her daughter in Winchester whilst the child attends school.