A Brief History of SWVG
Shirley Firth

In January 2001 the British government placed 500 asylum seekers around 10 British prisons. A journalist from the Hampshire Chronicle phoned me, Shirley Firth, Chair of the Winchester Action Group for Asylum Seekers (WAGAS) to ask if anything was being done.

Background
WAGAS had been founded 12 years earlier when 16 Turkish Kurds seeking asylum had been detained and gained publicity by going on hunger strike. The Revd Sir John Alleyne and I had met them and found they had no legal representation or medical attention, and with assistance of a lecturer at King Alfred’s College, we set up a group to help them. One had 19 cigarette burns on his body; others had experienced falaka – beatings on the soles of the feet which leave no obvious scars.  
The prison governor was very helpful, and when some of the men were released we were allowed to bring them home for the night before sending them to Halkevi, the Turkish Community Centre in Hackney. Gradually others replaced them and all but two were eventually freed. After two years, the group wound down but never completely stopped its work, concentrating on Haslar visiting and also visiting the occasional detainee sent to the hospital wing in Winchester.

In 2001 there was a small working group who still visited detainees in Haslar and occasionally stood bail for them. A Hampshire Chronicle reporter asked if I knew the Government was putting Asylum Seekers in prisons, of which Winchester was one and we promptly called a WAGAS meeting.

Because we felt it necessary to distance ourselves from the political overtones of WAGAS, we determined to set up a new group with a new label.  We had some training from an immigration lawyer and from BID  South and followed their recommendation that we visited in pairs, although this soon became impractical for regular visits.

One of our first challenges was informing the detainees that there were visitors available.  Posters were written in many languages with requests that they be put up in the prison, but there was little evidence that they remained there. We had a limited number of referrals from prison staff, but most came via word of mouth. A number of problems arose, in particular obtaining adequate medical and psychiatric care. Two Sri Lankan detainees, who were very disturbed and terrified of being deported, went on hunger strike. One set his cell on fire, injuring his hands quite badly.  The medical wing rarely contacted us, but rang me when the other man had been on hunger strike for five days and there were concerns for his health.  I discovered that his problem was not just fear of removal, but very painful teeth. He had been refused permission to see a dentist.  I persuaded him to eat some yoghurt and the staff, eager to help, obtained some from the kitchen.

Every month visitors were expected to fill in a short report of their visits and issues raised and they met to share experiences. Confidentiality was maintained by keeping these in the hands of the Chair, although visitors could check their own reports on the log for accuracy.

The group grew quite large and it was eventually proposed that the meetings should be alternated between business and a talk by someone with outside experience.  The roving chairmanship, which had been adopted after a few months, was dropped, and a full-time Chair elected.

During this time a number of visitors acted as sureties at bail hearings and a few detainees were released. Unfortunately, one member lost the money she had pledged when her visitor disappeared from her home where he had been staying for a couple of nights after release from prison. There were only a couple of such instances and in one case the surety money was not demanded.

In 2002 the policy of detaining asylum seekers in prison was phased out when Yarls Wood opened. A member of Refugee Action in Southampton asked if we would pilot a befriending scheme as the Home Office had made an agreement with Southampton City Council to place 200 individuals and families in the city while their cases were being heard. The scheme was to befriend vulnerable refugees for a limited period, meeting them once a week for about an hour. Referrals were made by Social Services and Refugee Action, and later by City College, GPs and other NGOs. The 'clients' came from a wide range of countries and included women and children.

Visitors joining the scheme were given training and were carefully matched to the referrals. Support was provided by the group and everyone had a 'buddy' (now a backup) who could step in when one was ill or away.

We were fortunate to receive some funding from a local woman and from the Blenkinsop Foundation, but realised that if we applied to the Charity Commission we would not be allowed to engage in campaigning. Some of the original members who were unable visit, decided to set up a separate group to focus on campaigning issues. They kept an eye on the news and wrote letters to the press, MPs and Government Ministers, eventually producing an excellent newsletter, Winchester Voice for Refugees.

Funding
During this time there was very little money available. The tiny amount remaining from WAGAS was used on expenses and in 2002 the money donated by the Blenkinsop trust made it possible to cover visitor’s expenses and minimal assistance to clients. When Assist (see below) was set up in 2004 to support destitute asylum seekers, the money coming in was very erratic. However, St. Peter’s Catholic Church raised an enormous amount from ‘Covenant With the Poor’.  Once Assist was established, a proper funding group was set up.

Events
The first big fundraising event, organised by members of WVG and the Friends Meeting House, was a bric-a-brac sale, which raised over £900. In 2006 we had a five day festival to raise awareness and funds in cooperation with the University of Winchester, churches (chiefly the United Reform Church) and St. Swithun’s School, who offered us the use of their theatre. ‘The Crocodile Seeks Refuge’ by the Ice and Fire Theatre Company was put on for two nights at the Theatre Royal, based on interviews with clients of the Medical Foundation for Care of Victims of Torture. There was an evening of readings and music at St. Swithun’s School featuring a variety of performers from St. Swithun and the University, interspersed by readings from an autobiographical script by Mohammed, which was read by Colin Firth. This described his arrest and torture in Syria at the age of 16. Omid Djalili agreed to come at the last minute, adding a touch of humour to the event. The St Swithun girls also made a calendar which raised several hundred pounds as well as biscuits to sell during their breaks. The festival concluded with a day conference at the United Church with Tim Finch from the Refugee Council as key speaker. In total it raised around £9,000.

There have been numerous other fund-raising events since. Our patron, John Pilkington, has given beautifully illustrated talks about his explorations. Bishop Michael and Lou Scott-Joynt made the chapel available in the Bishop’s Palace where concerts and talks have been held. Ros Farren-Price, a professional pianist, has given concerts on our behalf, and there have been fund-raising Indian and Thai dinners.

In 2009 one of the Patrons, Miriam Margolyes, organised a big concert in the Theatre Royal, ‘A Few of our Favourite things with Stephen Fry and Friends’. It included many well known actors and singers and was, by turns funny, poignant and sad. It raised around £12,000.

Training
Proper Visitor training was developed to help them with issues of asylum, psychological and legal aspects, local and governmental provision and case studies. Now there are regular training days for visitors, sometimes with an outside speaker or facilitator, which enable interested persons to decide whether visiting is really right for them.

Although not an SWVG initiative, a counsellor in Southampton, organised two conferences on the psychological issues resulting from trauma and after many struggles she has also set up a counselling service for SWVG clients.

Support groups
Once the meetings no longer provided an opportunity to support and learn from one another, it became clear that other support was necessary and support groups were established. A psychiatrist who had worked among torture victims created a group in Twyford. Another retired psychiatrist lead a group in Southampton, and a third group was formed in Winchester. These groups are still functioning.

The original idea of ‘buddies’ visiting in the prison gave way to the backup concept, in which each visitor had a backup who met the client at the outset, was kept informed and could step in when the visitor was unavailable.

Assist
By 2004 there were nearly 60 clients and it became apparent that homelessness was a major concern for them and Assist (Asylum Seekers Support in Southampton) was formed. Initially clients were offered £70 per week, which had to cover a cheap room and a pittance for food and expenses. There was an attempt to get churches to sponsor one person for 12 weeks, but this was not successful due to concerns that the sponsorship would be an ongoing tie. However, St. Peter’s RC Church in Winchester made SWVG their annual charity with a donation of £5000. As more desperate clients turned up it became clear that it was not possible to drop clients after 6 weeks, unless they had alternative places to stay and sources of food. Thankfully money did eventually come through and the scheme grew, although there were always difficulties in deciding who could access the limited funds.

WVG achieved charitable status in 2004, and changed its title to Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group.  Committee members also became trustees. With this status it was possible to establish a gift aid scheme.