Reverend Tan works with a community of asylum seekers, predominantly from Iran, who are temporarily housed in a nearby hotel and attend his church.
When they are granted refugee status, they only have weeks to move out of the temporary asylum accommodation provided by the government, and limited access to money to support this move.
One of the clients he recently supported is Newsha. She had to flee from Iran where she was facing persecution. She was determined not to ‘be a burden on society’, so as soon as she was granted refugee status, she found a job as a teaching assistant in a nearby school. She wanted to find her own accommodation, so Reverend Tan applied for an emergency grant which contributed to the deposit on her new home.
Rev Tan spoke to Jumoké Fashola on BBC Radio London on Sunday 1st December to explain how emergency (VRF) grants from St Martin’s Charity can help people find a safe place to call home.
You can listen here at 2:09.35 Inspirit with Jumoké Fashola – 01/12/2024 – BBC Sounds
