Hollywood star Michael Sheen and comedian Shaparak Khorsandi have backed our winter appeal with Comic Relief to support refugees and the homeless, hailing the “courage, resilience and strength” of those “forced to flee” their homes and reminding us of the harsh winter months they face “without the necessities we take for granted”.
Khorsandi was born in Iran and came to London with her parents initially for a year or two but ended up staying because it was too dangerous for her father, a poet, to return after the Islamic Revolution. It followed a joke he composed that was seen as critical of the regime.
Drawing on her own lived experience, Khorsandi who is known for her sharp wit and stand-up comedy, stuck a serious note when she said: “Being forced to flee from the place you once called home and left, and trying to start again somewhere new that is so different from everything you’ve ever known, fills you with so much anxiety and uncertainty.”
She added: “It takes so much courage, resilience and strength to tell yourself things will get better. Having supported Comic Relief for so many years, I know they and The Standard fund incredible projects that are helping to give those in urgent need of support the warm welcome and safety they desperately need. If you can support this appeal, you’ll be helping give someone the comfort of knowing that they matter, that someone cares, and they’re not alone.”
Sheen, the versatile star of Frost/Nixon and The Damned United as well as West End hits like Amadeus and Hamlet, said: “There are far too many people in the UK who will face the winter months without the necessities that we can so often take for granted, but we can change that. This winter, I’m supporting Comic Relief and The Standard to help raise funds for those in need. The funds will provide essential support, like a warm meal, a roof over their heads, and the support people need to flourish and thrive. Please join me and donate today.”
Their pleas come days after singer Rita Ora, who also has lived experience of fleeing danger to come to the UK as a child, backed our appeal, saying that “as a refugee, this is an appeal that is especially close to my heart and one that I’m so proud to be supporting”.
We have already announced £500,000 from Comic Relief to kick off our appeal last week. Money raised will support organisations in London and across the country that support the sustenance and better integration of refugees and people experiencing homelessness.
Appeal in a nutshell
We have partnered with Comic Relief to launch our winter appeal, A Place to Call Home. The money we raise will help fund organisations in London and across the country helping asylum seekers and people experiencing homelessness.
To make a donation, visit: comicrelief.com/winter
How your money could help
£10 could provide a young person travel to meet a wellbeing mentor and have a hot meal
£50 could provide travel to work or school for a month for an at-risk youth
£150 could refurbish a bike for an adult refugee giving them freedom to travel independently
£500 could train ten people with experience of homelessness to become homeless health advocates£1,000 could enable one of our partners to fully support a young person throughout the year
