People power has proved a driving force in the UK’s response to the escalating refugee crisis. While the government has drawn criticism for a lack of humanitarian action compared to, for example, Germany, grassroots campaigns have generated an impressive momentum. An online petition launched by Katie Whyte, calling for increased support for refugees fleeing war and atrocity, rapidly gained several times more than the 100,000 signatures needed to prompt a parliamentary debate; David Cameron’s response finally pledged to resettle 20,000 Syrians in need of protection.
Crowdfunding campaigns have also demonstrated their global reach; JustGiving estimates that 22,000 people from 61 countries around the world have donated to crowdfunding and charity project sites since August, in response to the refugee crisis, and more than 500 JustGiving pages were created with this aim in September, largely as a response to the devastating news reports of families and infants struggling to reach safety. Each crowdfunding page represents an individual or grassroots organisation keen to take direct action to help, through providing funds for food, water, shelter, clothes and other crucial supplies, as well as
a sense of collective solidarity.
Central London pub the Coach and Horses, for example, has now raised well over its target of £5,000 to provide a good meal for refugees in Calais camps (“because British values are about respect, dignity and kindness”). Then there’s employment lawyer Sean Jones, who has persuaded more than a thousand legal professionals to donate the cost of one billable hour of work to Save The Children, and Glasgow Solidarity activists Diane and Bob, who’ve raised thousands of pounds worth of supplies to distribute to refugees in Calais.
University lecturer and journalist Bethany Usher, 35, created her campaign to get “childhood bags” (containing warm clothes, toys, books and other essentials) to refugee children in Greece, via JustGiving. “The campaign was launched the day after I saw pictures of the drowned Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi,” explains Bethany. “I felt that if I was moved to help, other people would be too.
“It’s hard to imagine what we would do if we were forced to run for our lives with our children and leave everything behind. With winter approaching, clothes and shoes will make a massive difference, but so will a book or a toy. Many of these children arrive with only the clothes on their backs.”
Bethany, who is currently on maternity leave from her principal lecturer role at Teesside University (she’s mother to eight-month-old Tobias, as well as two-year-old Elodie), had hoped to raise £20,000 in 30 days; in fact, she reached her target in just 30 hours. After a week, her page figure stood at £25,177, with 1273 pledges and messages of support.
JustGiving Crowdfunding pages have inbuilt social sharing tools, so users and supporters can spread the word swiftly and effectively. “The level of the reaction and generosity of people, mostly through Twitter and friends of friends, has been incredible,” she says. “‘Fleet Street Fox’ Susie Boniface, [columnist] Owen Jones, [playwright and crowdfunding journalist] Peter Jukes and [Labour deputy leader] Tom Watson all retweeted or commented.”
Bethany organised the campaign entirely on her mobile phone, with help from her media students and the ongoing support of her family. “This included creating the JustGiving page, promotion on Twitter and other social media. I’m also on my email and ringing people a lot. I don’t know how I would have done this pre-smartphone!”
Logistics support for shipping eight pallets of childhood bags to Lesbos in September came from her supporters’ industry contacts and Twitter followers – everyone from video game developers to clothing and food companies. She points out that her page lists two ways in which people have been asked to help – through crowdfunding donations, or by sending bags of supplies directly to the campaign’s contact in Greece. She plans to keep the site updated with progress over the coming weeks.
“I’ve included an area where I can show how the money is being spent – I want the whole process to be as transparent as possible,” she says. “I think a lot of people feel disconnected from the larger charities. But I do think, ultimately, that donating to those already on the ground is the best way. That’s my advice to people. I hope that by archiving and documenting the campaign via the web, I can encourage other people to find their own way to help.”
