I arrived in the UK on the 16th of April and after a week I was in Lancaster. I have been 7 months in Lancaster so far. I am happy to be in Lancaster as people are nice and friendly and there are some organizations to support and help asylum seekers and refugees unlike in some other cities where some friends of mine are living. I haven’t had any experience with racism.

 

When I arrived at the hotel the only clothes I had were what I had been given in Dover. I met some Iranian guys at the hotel. They told me about Global Link and their clothing donations. I went to Global Link for the first time to get some free clothes, then I was attending to weekly lunch drop-in on Tuesdays where I found out about other services for asylum seekers and refugees such as free English classes, outdoor activities, and my favourite thing – football!

 

It was spring time so I could go hiking with Gisela in groups of 10-15. I started attending English classes as well. Importantly, I realized that there are people at Global Link who care and support refugees which makes your life easy and your heart warm. I would call Global Link our biggest supporter in Lancaster. Global Link is the first thing that comes to my mind whenever I need help, whether it is booking my GP appointment or having a consultation about different things which are new and complicated to me.

 

Digital Stories are the best thing I have done with Global Link. I believe that telling our stories through digital stories can change each other’s perspectives, between asylum seekers and refugees from different countries and also between them and the people of the host country. It can improve relationships and soften the atmosphere. It can provide a better understanding of what asylum seekers and refugees have been through and create empathy. In my case, nobody knew about my football background and my journey and now they know me better because of watching my story. I had an amazing experience of watching/showing my digital story with students at a High school in Preston a while ago. It was an interesting conversation between us to find out what it would look like to live as an asylum seeker. It changes their point of view about asylum seekers’ lives. What kind of difficulties can make you leave your home country and what kind of difficulties you will face in the host country. I could see how surprised they were after knowing that living in a hotel does not actually mean a holiday, but that it can be a nightmare. When one of the students told me how inspiring my life journey was to him, I was sure that for him the word “refugee” will no longer be a word to label lazy people who cost a lot of money to the government.

 

I am from Iran and my home country and my people are experiencing such difficult times. In this case, Global Link provided us with an opportunity to have an in-person conversation with the MP, Cat Smith, to discuss our concerns and desire to share what is happening in Iran with everyone in the UK and ask her to talk about it in parliament. Also, we had the space at Global Link to get together and discuss planning a demonstration at Dalton Square. It was a very meaningful moment for us, to have a space where we could at least express our emotions, anger, and sympathy about our people and country.

 

Global Link organises football for asylum seekers and refugees once a week, and I volunteer. I had this chance to do what I love which is playing football with my friends. I also coach football for under-15 boys 3 times a week. I am so happy to be able to follow my favourite path in life and also communicate and get to know British culture in a nice positive way.

 

I am sure I would not stay in Lancaster if I could not participate in all the things that Global Link has made happen in Lancaster. Although it is not easy to give new arrivals from different places a sense of belonging, Global Link does do this successfully.

 

Global Link has made us forget about who we are or where we are from. Getting together for the lunch drop-in, playing football and the Claver Hill farm has made us more than just some strangers waiting in a queue, bumping into each other, to get food at the hotel. Global Link has transformed us into Global Friends.