Your donation to the London to Isle of Wight bike ride means displaced young people in the UK can access vital English language lessons. Without a good understanding of English, it is incredibly hard to navigate life in the UK. Your donation breaks down barriers, helping young people to feel safe, settled and confident in their new communities.
Big Leaf Foundation is an award-winning charity working with displaced young people aged 15-25 living in Surrey. Our vision is of a community where displaced young people are valued, supported and given the ability to create better outcomes for themselves. Our aim is to provide a nurturing programme of activities, projects and events that focus on combating social isolation and improving the wellbeing of the young people we support.
For displaced young people arriving in a new country, the experience is often overwhelming and challenging. Away from family, friends and everything familiar, these young people are vulnerable to loneliness, isolation and anxiety. Big Leaf Foundation is a product of first-hand experiences with displaced people; our founders saw an opportunity to change the situation of these young people by cultivating a feeling of inclusion and belonging within a network of their peers and the wider community.
One of the most significant barriers to anyone trying to resettle in the UK is a good understanding of the English language and the opportunity to meet friends and socialise. Displaced young people often arrive as beginners in English speaking and reading, making finding their feet in new environments extremely challenging.
Two of our most impactful ways of mitigating these concerns are via our English language sessions and our weekly sports services...
College places are hard to access, and there are often long waits for spots. These delays mean that young people are also excluded from the support, guidance and opportunities to socialise that would improve their day-to-day situations.
This is where we come in.
Our weekly full-day English sessions bring young people together with teachers to work on building language skills, chat about life in the UK and make connections in their new communities. We provide varying levels of support, from beginner to GCSE and IELTS masterclasses for those planning to attend university. Last year, we supported 43 young people through their English learning journey.
Sport is a vital part of what we do. It brings young people together, promotes health and wellbeing and is often one of our first contact points with young people new to the area. It helps young people and our community partners to build mutual understanding and respect.
In the past year, over 200 young people attended our football sessions. Running weekly during term time across both East and West Surrey, these sessions have a real community behind them now, and we often see long-time players offering wisdom and friendship to those young people new to the UK.
Finding long-term consistent funding for football has been tricky, so we're asking for your help.
These young people often don’t have a sufficient support network. They’re navigating a cruel and isolating asylum system and a society that can make them feel unwelcome.
If we reach our fundraising target, we'll run full-day English language sessions for a year. These sessions run weekly, providing the specialised support that groups from mixed backgrounds need.
Morning sessions emulate a traditional 'school' experience, focusing on vocabulary and grammar skills and preparing participants for entry into the UK education system. Afternoons are about building cultural literacy and understanding of life, culture and social expectations in the UK. We do this alongside guest visitors such as officers from Surrey Police or local politicians or through activities and field trips.
To support us, please donate directly through this Justgiving page. Any donation, small or large, is greatly appreciated. If we hit our target, any additional funding will go towards future education sessions.
* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.
