Mawien* reached the UK with nothing. In Sudan, his father and brother were killed. His mother was taken. He was left scarred – physically and emotionally. Alone in a strange country, he didn’t know if he would ever feel safe again.
Then, one day, he met Maureen, an SVP Member at one of our charity partners called Welcome House in Hull. She didn’t ask for his paperwork. She didn’t ask about his past. She simply asked: “How are you today?”
For the first time in a long time, someone listened. And from that moment, everything began to change. When Maureen asked what he needed, Mawien didn’t say legal help or a roof over his head. He just wanted a football. That simple request sparked something much greater. A team was formed. Mawien named it Acorn FC after his father, the man he lost to violence.
What started as a kickabout in the park became a lifeline. The club became a family. For Mawien and so many other young refugees, it gave them a reason to get up in the morning, a chance to rebuild confidence and trust. It didn’t erase the memories, but it gave them something else: hope.
But there are still so many more people who need us. Across the country, families are struggling to put food on the table. People facing homelessness have nowhere to turn. Older people are living in isolation, with no one to check in on them.