We're Taking Part in the Christmas Challenge 2022!

29th November is an exciting day. From midday, for one week only, every donation made to Upbeat Communities will be DOUBLED.

At Upbeat, we build community in so many different ways. From English classes, to community meals, pre- and post-natal support, and creative therapy groups, there are many ways we seek to reduce isolation and increase the wellbeing of people seeking refuge in our city.

Why so many different activities? Well, people who come through the doors at Upbeat are from all sorts of different backgrounds. Some are single mums, some families, some young men or women.

They might be fleeing a terrible regime in Eritrea or Afghanistan. They may have faced persecution in Iran, violence in El Salvador, or been forced out by a war in Syria or Ukraine. Some people might be isolated because they have no English, or because they are pregnant and hundreds of miles from the support network they had at home.

Whatever the situation, whoever the person, at Upbeat we want our support to be as individual as the people we support.

But we need your help to keep providing it.

We want to raise £20,000 this Christmas to fund the work that happens at our Integration Hub – a safe space in the centre of Derby for refugees to come, learn English, make friends, and receive support specific to their needs at a given moment. We want more refugees to feel the same sense of belonging that Reza (Upbeat Participant) has:

“Upbeat was very helpful for me because I could improve my English language in a friendly place. Upbeat staff are so well behaved and lovely. I like to spend my time with them. Different nationalities come to Upbeat and it’s really good for everybody who wants to know about the culture or make friends.”

The Christmas Challenge kicks off at 12pm on 29th November — from which point, every donation made to us via the Big Give website will be DOUBLED.

To stay tuned on exactly how and where to donate, sign up to our mailing list at upbeatcommunities.org/supporter-signup, or follow us on social media by clicking the buttons below.