Emily Barden’s Christmas single raised £325 – enough to fund basic household necessities for several families moving from the former hotel or other Home Office accommodation into empty housing in the community. This funding, alongside items donated by individuals and partner charities (e.g. Rotary), makes a massive difference to families’ ability to get on with finding work and generally building their new lives once evicted from Home Office accommodation. It also helps families create a home, often after years since leaving their old homes, which is particularly fitting, as one motivation for Emily to donate all her song’s proceeds to refugees was to help those “who don’t have the privilege of being in their family home this Christmas.”
As most of Sanctuary in Chichester’s work supporting refugees is delivered by our volunteers, every financial donation goes a long way and has a tangible positive impact on people’s lives.
A huge thank you to Emily and to every one of you who bought her Christmas single.
On top of the single, Emily and Bellacapella choir (see photo above, with Emily in the sparkly top in the centre) raised a further £103 for us through their Christmas concert raffle. Emily sang her single at the concert by popular request! Thank you Bellacapella.