Woman travels to UK on bus pass for refugee meetings

A 74-year-old woman who volunteers at an asylum seeker charity is using her bus pass to travel around the country visiting those she has helped.

Anne Murray helps migrants in Northumberland adapt to life in the UK.

Now, she is traveling across the country to meet those who have moved away from the area after being granted permission to remain.

Ms Murray said the people she visits are like her “extended family”.

Ms Murray, who lives in Belsay, has been a volunteer with Northumberland County of Sanctuary (NCOS) since 2016. The organisation is part of the City of Sanctuary group, which supports migrants and promotes inclusion within communities.

“I started volunteering because I felt it was time to stand up and be recognized for what I believe in,” she said.

I had heard that asylum seekers were being housed in Northumberland and wanted to find out what I could actually do to help.

“It was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Many of those Mrs Murray helped used to live in Ashington and Blyth but have since moved away.

She is now using her bus pass to visit family in Manchester, Glasgow, Blackpool, Birmingham, Huddersfield, Stoke, Leicester, Nottingham, Surrey and London.

“We welcome people from 44 different countries to Ashington,” said Ms Murray.

“Everyone I visit calls Ashington home.”

‘So proud’

One of the first people she visited was Mohammed Abdul Karim, who in 2017 became the first migrant in Ashington to be granted residency.

He became close to Ms Murray and her husband after he was evicted from Home Office accommodation and lived with the couple for three months while the issue was resolved.

Originally from Sudan, he now lives in Manchester and works as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross.

“We are all very proud of their faith and determination to succeed,” said Ms Murray.

As part of her work with NCOS, Ms Murray said she helped set up English classes in churches and encouraged Ashington College to set up ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses.

The charity also helps people find clothing suitable for the UK climate, as well as prams and maternity clothes.

Ms Murray hopes her visit will help raise awareness of the challenges migrants face when they arrive in the UK.

“If you can put yourself in that person’s shoes, all I would want is for someone to smile at me and say, ‘You’re welcome here. How can we help you?'”

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