Breaking down the barriers of loneliness, isolation and lack of opportunity one bus ride at a time…

Thanks to a pledge of support from Swindon’s Bus Company, with donations received from the Swindon community we are able to provide a free monthly bus pass to people seeking sanctuary who are guests in our hosting scheme and to those we are supporting in other ways. 

Swindon’s Bus Company give us a 50% discount for the monthly bus pass tickets we purchase.  (If you would like to donate towards this cause either as a one off payment or to setup a monthly donation you can do so by clicking here).

Why is this needed?

Asylum seekers in the UK are not permitted, by law, to work. They are given only £37.75 a week on which to live. A weekly bus pass costs £14.50 – more than a third of an asylum seeker’s financial support.

In recent years the Home Office accommodation provided by the company Ready Homes- ClearSprings are further from the town centre, where so many services are based. Without means of transport, they have no way of accessing English classes, asylum advice, health care, social activities and volunteering opportunities.

What difference does a bus pass make?

Being able to travel means that asylum seekers and refugees can get the support they need.

As one new refugee says:

“The bus pass helped me get to job interviews and when I started working I didn’t have to worry about the logistics until the first pay cheque. Thank you so much for the comprehensive and well-thought out support.”

Wow… I had no idea. How can I help?

We rely on fundraising to subsidise ticket costs and ensure that tickets remain free of charge for sanctuary seekers. If you feel moved to help (pun fully intended), you can make a donation here. Even better, spread the word to friends and family and get them on board too…