More than 150 asylum seekers welcomed by charity after funding boost

More than 150 newly arrived asylum seekers will be welcomed by a charity after it received almost £10,000 in funding.

CARAS, in Bickersteth Road, Tooting, offers social, educational programmes and one-to-one casework support to 600 asylum seekers and refugees across South London each year.

The centre supports unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who are navigating the asylum system and adulthood alone, as well as newly arrived adults housed in Home Office hotels awaiting decisions on their asylum claims.

After receiving a £9,928 grant from the London Freemasons Charity, CARAS will expand its Adult Learning Programme to help asylum seekers develop their English skills and gain qualifications.

The cash injection will fund the creation of a specialised Adult Literacy programme and an Accredited English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programme. 

Eleanor Brown, CARAS chief executive, said: “Disparities in literacy are prevalent and often overlooked – last year, 53 per cent of new learners at CARAS were emerging literacy learners in both their mother tongues and English. 

“This creates significant barriers to accessing the labour market and achieving family-sustaining wages, exacerbating long-term socio-economic inequality. 

“Thanks to the funding from the London Freemasons, CARAS can now provide dedicated literacy support alongside the opportunity to gain an English-Speaking Board accreditation, significantly improving future prospects for our community members.”

Find out more about CARAS’s work and how you can support the organisation on their website: www.caras.org.uk

Pictured top: CARAS offers social, educational programmes and one-to-one casework support to asylum seekers and refugees (Picture: Becky Bailey Photography)