Ahead of Refugee Week, local charity, Connection Support, launches new campaign to highlight the hardship and suffering many individuals and families go through when being forcibly displaced from their homes.
Many of us will never know what it feels like to live in a place of war, conflict, or persecution, desperately hoping for a brighter future. But for some, this is a reality. People across the world find themselves living in circumstances that are by no means the life they imagined, often with no other choice but to leave everything behind in search of safety and security.
Monday 17th June marks the start of Refugee Week – a time to reflect on the lives and celebrate the resilience of refugees and people seeking safety across the world. But Oxford-based charity, Connection Support, wants to share the remarkable journeys of people a little closer to home. Their ‘Not by Choice’ campaign brings to life the reality of being a refugee; the hardships of leaving a life behind, the suffering that comes with forced displacement, and the challenges of settling into a country with different cultural values. For people going through this, life has changed forever… and it’s not by choice.
Many of the people that turn to the charity have often been subject to traumatic events that will have a long-lasting impact. And whilst Connection Support cannot undo the pain that is caused by war, conflict, or persecution, the charity is doing all they can to provide practical, social, and mental health support to help people work towards a brighter future. By providing opportunities to develop new skills, learn about different social norms and create links to local communities, the charity is helping families and individuals alike integrate into life in the UK.
One person helped by the charity said:
“Before coming to the UK, my daughters and I were suffering a lot in a strange country, going through harsh conditions and pressures. It was all misery and sadness.
When I heard that my application had been accepted to the UK, I was very happy. The Connection Support team were the first people I met. They welcomed us warmly as if they had known us for a long time, smiling and helping us carry our bags. Connection Support has helped us manage our daily life, like sorting electricity, water, internet, and NHS registrations and appointments.
My life is stable now. Especially after I got a job and my daughters started school. I started to feel a lot safer and more comfortable. Now, I hope to complete the English language levels and be able to study at university. I want to help people, just like Connection Support helped me. I would like to see my eldest daughter achieve her dream of becoming a lawyer. My daughters and I are so grateful for Connection Support, and we are thankful for everything we received from the team.”
Although well known for solving homelessness, Connection Support has been offering refugee resettlement support since 2015 and it’s now a core part of what they do. Since then, the charity has used their expertise to help more than 600 people across their various refugee resettlement services. These services exist because forced displacement isn’t a choice. After all, nobody wants to leave their home; sometimes there’s just no other option.
As part of their support, the charity offers mental health and wellbeing activities to help people overcome trauma and the stress of resettlement. For more information, or to donate, visit their dedicated webpage: https://www.connectionsupport.org.uk/notbychoice/
