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| Leeds' hosts offer hot food, beds and a warm welcome to asylum-seekers | Leeds' hosts offer hot food, beds and a warm welcome to asylum-seekers |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The first of my Short Stop stints of the month, seemed simple with only two referrals to place. But a lot of hosts either had guests already staying on the parallel Long Stop scheme, two were unwell and several others were out for the evening. | The first of my Short Stop stints of the month, seemed simple with only two referrals to place. But a lot of hosts either had guests already staying on the parallel Long Stop scheme, two were unwell and several others were out for the evening. |
| So it was touch and go as I dialled the numbers, but eventually both young men looking for overnight beds were placed in warm and welcoming homes with a hot meal to look forward to. A third from Eritrea, however, had not turned up on the previous night. We were all worried about him and I hoped I would find out later where he had gone. I haven't yet. | So it was touch and go as I dialled the numbers, but eventually both young men looking for overnight beds were placed in warm and welcoming homes with a hot meal to look forward to. A third from Eritrea, however, had not turned up on the previous night. We were all worried about him and I hoped I would find out later where he had gone. I haven't yet. |
| The month's second session again saw just two potentially homeless asylum-seekers, from Guinea and Pakistan this time, and both found shelter from the cold and the wet quite quickly. The chat on the 'phone is part of the pleasure of volunteering. I nattered to one of the hosts about his email address which I had assumed was to do with wine-making because of references to vines. But it turned out to be a Christian organisation. So I learned something new. Another host and I discussed halal meals - it was the beginning of the horsemeat scandal, so all labeling was becoming suspect. We agreed that a non-meat meal was safest – though my local butcher is profiting from all this, I am pleased to say. | The month's second session again saw just two potentially homeless asylum-seekers, from Guinea and Pakistan this time, and both found shelter from the cold and the wet quite quickly. The chat on the 'phone is part of the pleasure of volunteering. I nattered to one of the hosts about his email address which I had assumed was to do with wine-making because of references to vines. But it turned out to be a Christian organisation. So I learned something new. Another host and I discussed halal meals - it was the beginning of the horsemeat scandal, so all labeling was becoming suspect. We agreed that a non-meat meal was safest – though my local butcher is profiting from all this, I am pleased to say. |
| The two organisations I'm involved with, which are both delighted to welcome help, are Leeds Asylum Seekers' Support Network and Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers. | The two organisations I'm involved with, which are both delighted to welcome help, are Leeds Asylum Seekers' Support Network and Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers. |
| My asylum-seeking friend was meanwhile not really in the mood to celebrate her permission to stay in this country which I reported on last month. Her boiler was still not fixed and there was no running water in the kitchen. However, after I had made various 'phone calls she relaxed and we pored over the letter from the Home Office. It is such a flat sort of letter when one feels it should be in gilt print because it means so much to her. | My asylum-seeking friend was meanwhile not really in the mood to celebrate her permission to stay in this country which I reported on last month. Her boiler was still not fixed and there was no running water in the kitchen. However, after I had made various 'phone calls she relaxed and we pored over the letter from the Home Office. It is such a flat sort of letter when one feels it should be in gilt print because it means so much to her. |
| There it is in black and white: her 'status', as asylum seekers call it. We talked about the fact that she will have to move again and all the other hoops through which she still has to jump. She knows that it will be tough, but of course she doesn't mind. | There it is in black and white: her 'status', as asylum seekers call it. We talked about the fact that she will have to move again and all the other hoops through which she still has to jump. She knows that it will be tough, but of course she doesn't mind. |
| On my second visit to her this month, one of her local friends was there too. We talked about how we hoped to be able to use a van and a driver to help to shift her stuff when she has to move again. Her wonderful habit of collecting unwanted consumer goods dumped on wasteland has gleaned her a bed, a fridge freezer and a dining table. She may have to go into a hostel for a short time before going into an unfurnished flat, so none of this must be lost. Luckily a friend of mine has offered some space in her garage to store the precious scavengings. | On my second visit to her this month, one of her local friends was there too. We talked about how we hoped to be able to use a van and a driver to help to shift her stuff when she has to move again. Her wonderful habit of collecting unwanted consumer goods dumped on wasteland has gleaned her a bed, a fridge freezer and a dining table. She may have to go into a hostel for a short time before going into an unfurnished flat, so none of this must be lost. Luckily a friend of mine has offered some space in her garage to store the precious scavengings. |
| Not a good month, February, I think most years, and this year has certainly lived up to that on volunteering days with Coasties in the North York Moors national park. One was cancelled because of snow and the next I felt too unwell to go to. Fortunately I was still well enough to sit by the phone and the computer. In the old days when I went to paid work the rule was too ill to go to work, too ill for anything else. As a volunteer I can pick and choose my levels of illness; another good thing about having a pension not a salary. | Not a good month, February, I think most years, and this year has certainly lived up to that on volunteering days with Coasties in the North York Moors national park. One was cancelled because of snow and the next I felt too unwell to go to. Fortunately I was still well enough to sit by the phone and the computer. In the old days when I went to paid work the rule was too ill to go to work, too ill for anything else. As a volunteer I can pick and choose my levels of illness; another good thing about having a pension not a salary. |
| However I did get to one work task this month at the alum works at Ravenscar. Mud was the order of the day, all over the place. Some people ingeniously devised a drain to take a newly discovered spring away from the steps. Meanwhile I and a colleague moved bigger and bigger pieces of stone from the site of the new path to a storage area. They have to saved as archaeological treasures from long lost parts of the alum workings. | However I did get to one work task this month at the alum works at Ravenscar. Mud was the order of the day, all over the place. Some people ingeniously devised a drain to take a newly discovered spring away from the steps. Meanwhile I and a colleague moved bigger and bigger pieces of stone from the site of the new path to a storage area. They have to saved as archaeological treasures from long lost parts of the alum workings. |
| Suddenly we looked up to see a perfect rainbow, but it was the harbinger of a dreadful hail and rain storm. We got to the barn just in time, early lunch we decided. Later in the month was the social highlight of Coasties' year. We took off our muddy boots, T shirts and fleeces, put on our smart clothes and went out for lunch. Volunteering isn't just just hard work; it's fun too. | Suddenly we looked up to see a perfect rainbow, but it was the harbinger of a dreadful hail and rain storm. We got to the barn just in time, early lunch we decided. Later in the month was the social highlight of Coasties' year. We took off our muddy boots, T shirts and fleeces, put on our smart clothes and went out for lunch. Volunteering isn't just just hard work; it's fun too. |
The next day I walked off the lunch by doing a voluntary ranger patrol, checking out various footpaths in the Staintondale area. Except for the mud everwhere, most things were fine, gates, signs and stiles all in good order. The mild weather earlier in the winter seems to have encouraged the brambles to keep growing. I will need my secateurs next time. Towards the end of the afternoon I came across the biggest sheep I had ever seen including this ram with two sets of fine horns. Are they Manx Loaghtan or Jacobs? | The next day I walked off the lunch by doing a voluntary ranger patrol, checking out various footpaths in the Staintondale area. Except for the mud everwhere, most things were fine, gates, signs and stiles all in good order. The mild weather earlier in the winter seems to have encouraged the brambles to keep growing. I will need my secateurs next time. Towards the end of the afternoon I came across the biggest sheep I had ever seen including this ram with two sets of fine horns. Are they Manx Loaghtan or Jacobs? |
| On and off during the month I have been emailing about our Fairtrade Craft Fair in March. It is gradually coming together, stalls and publicity. A photo shoot for our local paper took up a lot of time. If you live within reach, it is on Saturday 9 March, 10am to 4pm at the Friends' Meeting House in Greengate, Malton YO17 7EN and it is free. We are delighted that Yorkshire is the first region in England to achieve Fairtrade status and our small group in Malton and Norton is part of that. We are participating in their 'sell a tonne of Fairtrade rice in Fairtrade fortnight challenge'. As a small group we are trying to sell 45kg, bigger groups 90kg. Contact Yorkshire Fairtrade to find your nearest stockist. | On and off during the month I have been emailing about our Fairtrade Craft Fair in March. It is gradually coming together, stalls and publicity. A photo shoot for our local paper took up a lot of time. If you live within reach, it is on Saturday 9 March, 10am to 4pm at the Friends' Meeting House in Greengate, Malton YO17 7EN and it is free. We are delighted that Yorkshire is the first region in England to achieve Fairtrade status and our small group in Malton and Norton is part of that. We are participating in their 'sell a tonne of Fairtrade rice in Fairtrade fortnight challenge'. As a small group we are trying to sell 45kg, bigger groups 90kg. Contact Yorkshire Fairtrade to find your nearest stockist. |
| Now off to do Granny things. The best of the month is yet to come, I hope. | Now off to do Granny things. The best of the month is yet to come, I hope. |
| Janice Gwilliam is a retired London schoolteacher who blogs monthly for the Northerner about her voluntary work with asylum seekers and refugees in Lincoln Green, Leeds, maintaining footpaths on the North York Moors and working for Fairtrade in Malton, Norton and York. | Janice Gwilliam is a retired London schoolteacher who blogs monthly for the Northerner about her voluntary work with asylum seekers and refugees in Lincoln Green, Leeds, maintaining footpaths on the North York Moors and working for Fairtrade in Malton, Norton and York. |
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