ASSIST is an incredible charity which has supported refused asylum seekers in Sheffield for many years. On 2 April a team of local poets will come together to read at the Sheffield Poem-a-thon to raise money for ASSIST. 

People often tell me they feel helpless when they see pictures of refugees and asylum seekers on the news. Although charity is not enough by itself, people all over the world have been coming together in solidarity to support refugees and campaign for change. We need to keep fighting for a more equal world in which people are not forced to leave their homes. 

There are many people in Sheffield and the UK who are not allowed to work, to register themselves as homeless or to be placed in local authority night shelters. Many become destitute - which means that they struggle every day for food, accommodation and clothes. 

ASSIST says that:

• £5 could cover expenses for a weekend’s hospitality for an asylum seeker in need of somewhere to sleep
• £17 could cover travel expenses to enable an asylum seeker to get to medical and legal appointments       
  
• £20 could give a vulnerable asylum seeker a week’s ASSISTgrant to enable them to buy some food

We will be reading at the fantastic Art House (and cafe) in the city centre. It's free to get in and 50 poets will be reading from 10am - 6pm. Please sponsor any of the other poets in our team. Any other cash raised through sales on the day will go to charities supporting refugees stranded just across the Channel in Northern France.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.