Thank you for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

We are proud to be fundraising for Hope for the Young, a London-based charity who empower young refugees and asylum-seekers through removing barriers to their education

Below, Hope for the Young’s Matt Blacker outlines the significant challenges facing these vulnerable young people and how the vital financial and mentoring support provided by Hope for the Young give them the chance to thrive:

“Last year, over 3,000 children came to the UK unaccompanied, after having been separated from their families. These young people have experienced traumatic events and have a range of physical, psychological and social difficulties. They can become isolated from their communities in the UK and may not be able to cope mentally with
general day to day life, let alone understand how to navigate the complex systems in which they find themselves.

The Mentoring Project matches these young people with volunteer mentors who meet them once a week for 6 months in order to provide tailored 1-1 support. Mentors teach the young people English, build their confidence and levels of trust, reduce their isolation and increase their academic potential. For those suffering from mental health problems, they provide emotional and practical support that creates stability and helps them adapt and settle into life in the UK.

Those that have fled war, persecution and bereavement to seek refuge in Europe have sacrificed their learning at a time when people their age are qualifying for careers. With average university fees at currently £9,000 a year, the chance to receive an education is off limits for asylum-seekers in the UK who may have to wait years for a decision from the Home Office.

Hope for the Young believes everybody should be entitled to an education no matter where they are from. Our Education Fund, therefore, provides grants, living allowances and travel expenses to those who have no access to student loans to pay for their education. As one young person said, "When I received a grant from Hope for the Young, my dreams were born again, therefore I was born again."

Your donations will go directly to these two projects that currently both have large waiting lists. Please help us to continue supporting these young people by donating whatever you can.”

Thank you for your generosity and support.

Patrick, Dan, Anthony, Jess, Sana, Alex, Will, Zaven, Caitie, Kate and the whole of the Telstra EMEA team.