News: Smartphone initiative for Rotherham’s asylum seekers
Mears Foundation is partnering with Rotherham-based engineering company, AESSEAL to help asylum seekers temporarily housed in the town to communicate with their families and support groups.
Together, the two organisations are funding the purchase of more than 800 basic smartphones in an initiative that recognises the social and emotional needs for connectivity of a group that has experienced extreme hardship during their journey to the UK.
At any one time around 600 people, including individuals and family groups, are in temporary accommodation in Rotherham while their asylum claims are processed. The asylum seekers come from various part of the world, including from conflict regions such as Afghanistan and Syria.
For over ten years, Mears has been the main contractor delivering services in the north of the borough as part of a multimillion pound repairs and maintenance service contract on behalf of Rotherham Council.
The Mears Foundation is the independent, charitable, grant-making arm of Mears Group. Mears Group provides accommodation and support for asylum seekers on behalf of the UK Home Office in Rotherham and across Yorkshire.
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Heather Tyrer, General Manager of the Mears Foundation said: "We are proud to be partnering with AESSEAL to provide important support for asylum seekers to communicate and get online. When people arrive in the UK, often fleeing persecution, providing a link for them to be able to speak to relatives, find out about their new local area and to make new connections, is literally a lifeline."
AESSEAL Managing Director, Chris Rea added: “The company heard about the project and wanted to help. These are displaced people and families with the same needs for emotional support and connectivity that we all have. It’s a joined-up world and smartphones give them access to information and important family and social support”, he added.
"We also wanted to ensure that, whatever the outcome of their case to remain in the UK, that they retained positive memories of Rotherham and its people."
Mears website
AESSEAL website
Images: Mears
Together, the two organisations are funding the purchase of more than 800 basic smartphones in an initiative that recognises the social and emotional needs for connectivity of a group that has experienced extreme hardship during their journey to the UK.
At any one time around 600 people, including individuals and family groups, are in temporary accommodation in Rotherham while their asylum claims are processed. The asylum seekers come from various part of the world, including from conflict regions such as Afghanistan and Syria.
For over ten years, Mears has been the main contractor delivering services in the north of the borough as part of a multimillion pound repairs and maintenance service contract on behalf of Rotherham Council.
The Mears Foundation is the independent, charitable, grant-making arm of Mears Group. Mears Group provides accommodation and support for asylum seekers on behalf of the UK Home Office in Rotherham and across Yorkshire.
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Heather Tyrer, General Manager of the Mears Foundation said: "We are proud to be partnering with AESSEAL to provide important support for asylum seekers to communicate and get online. When people arrive in the UK, often fleeing persecution, providing a link for them to be able to speak to relatives, find out about their new local area and to make new connections, is literally a lifeline."
AESSEAL Managing Director, Chris Rea added: “The company heard about the project and wanted to help. These are displaced people and families with the same needs for emotional support and connectivity that we all have. It’s a joined-up world and smartphones give them access to information and important family and social support”, he added.
"We also wanted to ensure that, whatever the outcome of their case to remain in the UK, that they retained positive memories of Rotherham and its people."
Mears website
AESSEAL website
Images: Mears
22 comments:
No comment......ffs
A generous gesture by Mears that will bring much needed comfort to those in a difficult situation that I hope those negatively commenting never find themselves in.
Well,people in this country don't usually,jump on dingys to go to other country's to milk them, especially when they're coming from safe country's in first place...people like you encourage them to come here,Shane these companies can't give freebies to people from here who are struggling!
https://www.rothbiz.co.uk/2021/01/news-7580-aesseal-plc-donates-400000-to.html
Got to agree with above, shouldn't be doing anything to encourage people to keep coming here,maybe a local company that makes boats could supply them ,to go back to France,as said above a safe country!
The fact that the previous poster believes someone would be encouraged to risk their life at the thought of a free smart phone speaks volumes on their ignorance around the plight of those in this unfortunate situation.
you have done a great job! that is soo nice to see that there are people who look past certain clear physical distinctions and actually look at the plight of people regardless and try to help them! you have made my day by doing this. people in needs are PEOPLE IN NEED! simple.
What people in need??They're risking there lives actually traveling from a safe country FRANCE!They coming as wee a soft touch and land of milk and honey as they see it, unfortunately our resident population no full well it's far from land of milk and honey!!Not welcome as far as I'm concerned or indeed anyone I know are concerned, obviously the PC liberal left,you know like idiots that run Rotherham think otherwise.Out of touch comes to mind!!
No it's free houses,and free money that encourages em here,free phones just makes it easier them to spread the word!!
Wow have anyone of you thought about offering these people a home? You clearly are so bothered about them? Leave our homeless on the streets?
Exactly all the same these lefty types,welcome everyone here,no matter what they'vr done in holes they've come from,but not bothered about helping likes of ex servicemen sleeping rough!
https://www.rothbiz.co.uk/2021/11/news-7890-aesseal-plc-donates-25000-to.html
An absolutely disgraceful decision. We should be helping our own kind, not interlopers, scroungers and hangers on from other countries, who should not be here in the first place. Send them all to Rwanda, and put Chris Rea with them.
To right!!
I think the money should be used for one way plane tickets
I'll second that ffs
"we should be helping our own kind" are we all not human beings?
All those commenting on here with negative nativist views should get a bit of perspective. A charity and a private company have decided to help those less fortunate. It is costing you nothing, has no negative impact on you and disadvatages no one so why all the anger? Who are you to tell a company you have nothing to do with how to spend their money?
Another let’s make asylum seekers lifes better but forget our own citizens.
"Another let’s make asylum seekers lifes better but forget our own citizens"
I suggest you do a bit more research before making ill informed comments. Aesseal has donated £400000 towards laptops for Rotherham children. Though as others have commented, charity is charity and it is costing you nothing, so there is no need to complain.
Yeah and charity should begin and in these times stay at home!!
If you are concerned about how Charity money is being spent maybe make a donation to a Charity of your choice or complete a fund raising activity rather than complaining about how others have donated?
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