Campaign Sirte Version

Transcript

00:00Home means somewhere where I can truly be myself.

00:05Where I look forward to going to every day.

00:09Home to me means a place where I can feel safe.

00:13Home, yes. What does it mean?

00:17At this time of year, when we rely on our homes to keep us warm and sheltered against the cold,

00:23home is especially important.

00:25But for some, a home is not to be taken for granted.

00:29I'm talking about asylum seekers or refugees and people currently experiencing homelessness.

00:35Asylum seekers have fled threats to their lives and left their homes to seek new homes in the UK.

00:42The homeless, people sleeping rough, sofa surfing, temporary hostel accommodation and the like,

00:48cannot take a roof over their head for granted.

00:51Taken together, these groups comprise London's two most disadvantaged.

00:57In addition to being destitute and traumatised, they are frequently stereotyped and maligned.

01:04That is why our 2024 Winter Appeal, A Place to Call Home,

01:09which we are running in partnership with Comic Relief,

01:12will support organisations in London and across the country

01:16that help with the sustenance and better integration of refugees and people experiencing homelessness.

01:23We are seeking donations from corporations, foundations, philanthropists and you, our readers,

01:30and Comic Relief have pledged £500,000 to get us underway.

01:35In addition to the fundraising, we are also seeking to challenge stereotypes

01:40and lobby for a more humane approach and legislative change.

01:45There are three myths we challenge in today's edition.

01:48Myth 1. The UK is being overrun by refugees.

01:52In fact, there are just 13 refugees per 10,000 people in the UK, half that of the EU.

01:59Myth 2. Most asylum seekers falsely claim to have fled danger and have no basis for their claim.

02:05In fact, around 80% of UK asylum seekers' claims are granted,

02:11either in the initial decision stage or on appeal.

02:14And myth 3. Homeless people are mostly substance abusers who sleep rough,

02:19when in fact, of 175,000 people in temporary housing in London, 83,000 are children,

02:27a shocking number that is not widely known.

02:30We launch with the story of Claude,

02:33whose remarkable life spans being both a refugee from Rwanda and a survivor of homelessness.

02:39His story of what he endured as a four-year-old when his father lay on top of him to save his life,

02:46and the nightmare that ensued when he lost his father and two siblings on one day, is tragic.

02:53Today, Claude is self-aware, smart and upbeat,

02:57and he plays a key role at a remarkable organisation called The Running Charity,

03:02which uses running to help asylum seekers and people experiencing homelessness

03:07to build confidence, set goals and transform their lives.

03:12The Running Charity is just one of more than a dozen charities our appeal will be supporting.

03:17So please, open your hearts and your wallets and give generously.