Northumberland pensioner visits British refugees using bus pass

A 74-year-old woman, a volunteer at an association helping asylum seekers, uses her bus pass to travel around the country to visit the people she has helped.

Anne Murray helps Northumberland migrants adjust to life in the UK.

She now travels the length and breadth of the country to meet those who left the region after being granted residency.

Ms Murray said the people she visits are like her “extended family”.

Ms Murray, who lives in Belsay, has been a volunteer with Northumberland County of Sanctuary (NCOS) since 2016. She is part of the City of Sanctuary group, which supports migrants and promotes inclusion within communities.

“I started volunteering because I felt it was time to stand up and be recognized for what I believe in,” she said.

I had heard that asylum seekers were going to be housed in Northumberland and I wanted to know what I could actually do to help them.

“It was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Many of those Ms Murray helped lived in Ashington and Blyth but have since moved away.

She now uses her bus and coach pass to visit family in Manchester, Glasgow, Blackpool, Birmingham, Huddersfield, Stoke, Leicester, Nottingham, Surrey and London.

“People from 44 different countries have come to Ashington,” Ms Murray said.

“Everyone I visit considers Ashington home.”

One of the first people she visited was Mohammed Abdul Karim, who in 2017 became the first migrant from Ashington to be granted a residence permit.

He became close to Mrs Murray and her husband after he was evicted from Home Office accommodation and lived with the couple for three months while the issue was resolved.

Originally from Sudan, he now lives in Manchester and works as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross.

“We are all very proud of his faith and determination to succeed,” Ms Murray said.

As part of her work with NCOS, Ms Murray said she had helped set up English classes in churches and encouraged Ashington College to set up ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses.

The charity also helps people find clothing suitable for the British climate, as well as pushchairs and baby clothes for expectant mothers.

Ms Murray hopes her visit will help raise awareness of the challenges migrants face when they arrive in the UK.

“If you can put yourself in that person’s shoes, all I would want is for someone to smile at me and say, ‘You’re welcome here. How can we help you?'”