B’s Story

 My name is 'B', and I've been living in the UK for four years. 

I came to the UK seeking asylum because I needed to protect myself from the threats I was receiving in my country.

I barely knew the language. The reality was harsher than I imagined. I desperately asked for help, but I only received a cold and impatient response.

The Home Office told me they would provide me with accommodation as soon as I ran out of money to support myself. When I arrived, I had less than $150 in my bank account, but I still had to pay for two nights in a hotel. After contacting them, they told me I should wait for a taxi to take me to the place where I would be housed. This accommodation is non-negotiable; they send you to any available place.

The wait was a nightmare. I arrived in the UK in one of the coldest months, without suitable clothing, without knowing the language, and without the means to get a proper coat. After many hours of waiting in the freezing streets of London, the transport that took me to Cheltenham finally appeared. I arrived in the early hours of the morning at a small hotel for asylum seekers. Depression hit me immediately and lasted a long time.

I'm a teacher, a graduate of the best university in my country, with over 10 years of experience working with children, teenagers, and adults. Arriving in an unfamiliar country, unable to communicate, has been the biggest challenge of my life. Learning English is a daily struggle. When I arrived, I could only say my name, my age, where I was from, and my date of birth. The process has been slow, difficult, and sometimes discouraging. 

Thanks to Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees and Cheltenham Volunteer Teachers I had access to free weekly English classes. After nearly a year I was able to attend English classes at College when class spaces became available.

English classes have been my greatest support in improving my language skills. I've met many people who volunteer their time and teach us with patience and dedication. 

Over time, I started volunteering by cooking for a group of people with special needs, something very different from my profession, but I enjoyed it immensely. 

Then, with the help of a good friend, I was accepted as a volunteer at a Charitable Trust Child Day Care Centre, and I felt I was getting closer to my professional field. Returning to teaching in an educational environment was undoubtedly a balm to the heart after so much time away from the profession. Although working with such young children requires more effort, I have certainly enjoyed it and have also learned a lot of vocabulary from the children; they, too, can be good teachers...

After doing this work for 5 months I received notification of my transfer away from Cheltenham by the Home Office to another hotel in London.

I had been in Cheltenham for 23 months and had established a support network which included English classes, meaningful volunteer work, friends at Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees and a local church.

I was very sad to leave and stressed because of moving to a different place and starting all over again.

This happened just as I was given permission to remain in the UK but my papers were sent to my Cheltenham hotel after I had left Cheltenham, which caused problems.

I was only at the new location for less than a month before being moved to a flat in another part of London.

A week later I received an eviction notice to leave the flat because I had now been given the right to stay and work in the UK, but was granted an extension while I found somewhere to live.

I considered Cheltenham to be my home in the UK.

This whole process was very stressful but a month later, thanks to Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees being contacted by a local benevolent private landlord with a property to rent and friends offering temporary accommodation I was able to return to Cheltenham and rent shared accommodation with my friends.

When I returned to Cheltenham, my previous volunteer employer offered me part-time paid work because they were happy with the work I did as a volunteer. I started the process of applying for a DBS in the UK, continued my English classes at college and the weekly English classes given by Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees and Cheltenham Volunteer Teacher volunteers.

My job was only a few hours a week, so I received some support through Universal Credit. 

Eventually, thanks to my performance, I accepted an offer to work full-time job at the child care nursery. 

To improve my employability I  have attended some training courses, including: Safeguarding, Duty of Prevention and British values, Female Genital Mutilation, Introduction to Early Years Foundation Stage and Level 2 Teaching Assistant. 

I attend English ESOL classes at college and have achieved Level 2, the highest level taught at the college.

My main goal is to return to teaching. However, the path is long. 

My university degree has received a Statement of Comparability from ECCTIS, a local Cheltenham company that is the UK Government's recognised company for checking overseas qualifications. This Statement confirms that the teaching qualifications I have meet the qualifications required to become a teacher in the UK. However, I now need to have a IELTS B2 level of English and pass the Level 4 GCSE maths, which I shall pursue, along with any other UK teaching qualifications I need to achieve.

For now I am focused on improving my English skills. 

Thanks to the support of Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees, I have spoken to groups of students in schools and colleges in Cheltenham, sharing a little about my country, as it is a beautiful country but full of problems. 

This fills me with satisfaction and pride. 

The majority of people in the UK are completely unaware of my country and sharing information with them about my home and culture is very satisfying. 

Whenever I have the opportunity, I will continue doing this.... answering questions about my country and trying to raise awareness about being kind to people like me who are striving to adapt to our new circumstances trying to become members of the community and contribute to this society and country, which, despite everything, has welcomed us and given us the opportunity to start again.

For now, my work with the nursery children fills me with joy. I am helping young children to have a good start in their education and my job allows me to cover my needs.

I no longer depend on Universal Credit, and it feels good to be improving my life, step by step and with some certainty that I am following the pathway to achieve my dream of teaching in the UK.