Recovering from Glastonbury… Didn’t get much sleep!! Hit the road running as I arrived back in Manchester…Still have to process all that went on in Mexico and then Glastonbury…

On Friday, there was an article in the Guardian’s G2 section about having Raza living with us – a lovely Kurdish 24 year old guy who has fled Iran to seek asylum in the UK – and was destitute because his claim was rejected.. I have only just had chance to properly digest the article since coming home from Glastonbury – which was where I was on Friday when the article came out. Amnesty international suggested the idea of running a story about a house-hold taking in an asylum seeker to The Guardian – and through a series of contacts – they found the Boaz Trust who we do a hosting scheme though – and the Guardian wanted to write the article about our story of housing Raza. I am really grateful to Emine Saner for writing the article so sensitively. We have had negative experience of the media putting negative spins on real stories – Emine got all the facts right and quoted us both perfectly. Thank you Emine.

I can see from some of the internet chat rooms that the article has made people think about our policies here in the UK concerning asylum seekers who have a failed claim – usually through lack of evidence – which is really hard to collate. There are a few cynics of course too – the usual story about thinking most asylum seekers are economic migrants… if that were true of Raza – I think he will have tried to go back to Iran after 2 years of being homeless – getting hyperthermia on a park bench through most of the winter – when he had a job, family home, family and friends over in Iran… I understand that people find it hard to trust others – especially because you do have some people who do abuse the system – of course! There always will be a few people who abuse every kind of system – but I think it’s our responsibility to deal humanely with people who find themselves destitute in the UK – whether they made a concious decision to flee to this country or not….

I am on the 5LIve call in on Sunday night if you are interested and want to ask me questions about us taking Raza – initially a stranger to our home. I have a feeling there may be a lot of cynical people phoning in because of the nature of Steven Nolan’s show. It’s on from 10pm. It’s not because we are good people – and need a badge – it’s because it’s the right thing to do for us. We have gained enormously from the experience. Everyone has something that they are created to do – a little bit out of the ordinary – this is one of ours.

Here’s the article if you’re interested; (LINK to Guardian web-site)

Hannah Atkins at home in Manchester with Raza, the Iranian Kurd whom she gave a room. Photograph: Colin McPherson

The journey to the warmth and safety of this end-of-terrace house in Manchester has been a very difficult one for Raza, a Kurd from a small village in Iran. He fled in 2007, arriving in northern England with no money and speaking no English. After his case for asylum was refused, he lost entitlement to any support and then spent a bitter winter sleeping in a park and seeking shelter in a church.
Last week, we wrote about four asylum seekers who were living in barely imaginable destitution after their cases were refused. Many readers expressed their horror and wondered how to help. There are charities that work with destitute asylum seekers, though, of course, their funds are minimal, and there are not enough to help all the people who are rejected by Britain’s asylum system.
The Boaz Trust is a Christian charity that works in and around Manchester. It places failed asylum seekers with people who have offered their spare rooms – for anything from an emergency overnight stay to several months at a time – as Hannah Atkins, a 28-year-old singer-songwriter, did. She sits on the sofa next to Raza, 23, who is in the process of appealing against the decision against him, and helps him with his English as he explains what brought him here.
He had worked as a shepherd in the fields around his village since he was 10. One day, when he was about 19, some Kurdish political activists approached him and asked him to take their Kurdish-language newspapers back to his village. He did this a few times, but then someone tipped off the police – there have been many crackdowns on dissent in the Kurdish regions of Iran, where human rights abuses are numerous, and being a member of Kurdish opposition parties is punishable by death – and they went to his house to arrest him.
“I wasn’t there,” he says with help from Atkins, “but they took my father, brother and sister. I haven’t seen or heard from them again, and I don’t know what has happened to them.”
Somebody managed to get a message to Raza, who was in the fields working, that it wasn’t safe for him to come home, or even stay in the country.
In 2007, he came to the UK in the back of a lorry, ended up in northern England and claimed asylum. For a while, he stayed with friends he had made, but had to leave after his case was rejected on the basis that there was not enough evidence that his life was in danger; staying with his friends, also asylum seekers, would have put their cases at risk too. After this, all his support was stopped and he was left destitute. Sleeping in the park in Bury, he ended up with hypothermia and was hospitalised for two weeks; it has left him with long-term health problems, such as a constant ache in his side, and his shoulder often seizes up.
It is thought there are around 300,000 asylum seekers in the UK whose claims have been refused, and a large proportion of those are destitute. “They are faced with the choice of staying in the UK and being destitute, or returning to their country,” says Jan Swift, refugee programme director for Amnesty International. “Many are in fear for their lives if they go back. It is a horrific situation to be in. They are not allowed to work, which is why many will resort to illegal work.”
Raza isn’t the first asylum seeker Atkins and her husband, a music producer, have hosted. An Eritrean woman, Elisabeth, came to stay with them for four months last year until her case was approved, and a week after she moved out, the charity arranged for Atkins to meet Raza, who has lived with them for seven months. They had a spare room, but weren’t in a financial position to give it out for free, so their friends clubbed together to cover the rent they would be losing. “I think it’s a great way to work it, because you might be somebody who wants to help, but you don’t have a spare room,” Atkins says.
“We got on with him really well, he has a great sense of humour,” she says. “People say, ‘Aren’t you worried about giving a stranger the keys to your house?’ But you have to decide to trust someone from the start, and we just really liked Raza.” None of them knows how long he might stay – he is trying to get fresh evidence and a lawyer to help him with his appeal, but this will cost upwards of £500 and Raza, of course, has no money. “Although he is legally allowed to stay while he appeals the decision, he can still be deported at any time,” says Atkins. “Sometimes he goes to stay with friends for a couple of days and I worry if I haven’t heard from him.”
For Atkins, it’s an insight into the way things are stacked against someone trying to prove they have a legitimate right to claim asylum in the UK. “His case is so hard to prove and the government requires so much evidence,” she says. “You’re guilty until you can prove you are innocent. But when you’re fleeing for your life, you’re not going to stop and collect evidence – documents, photographs – to prove your case.”

An arrest warrant for Raza was smuggled across the Iranian border by a friend of a friend, who risked his own life, but British officials said it could have been forged. One day, Atkins herself received a phone call from the police. “They basically frightened me,” she says. “They said, ‘How well do you know the man staying in your house?’ Pretty well, I said. They said they wanted to speak to him, but wouldn’t tell me what it was about.” When she called back, she was put through to a department investigating sexual offences.
“It turned out they had completely the wrong man – the man they wanted had a different name and date of birth. It was as if they hadn’t even checked they had the right person, they just went for someone with a similar name, and I’m sure some of that was racism on their part. It makes me so upset when I hear people saying awful things about asylum seekers.
“They don’t understand that they wouldn’t be here if they could go back to their home country. He had a house, a job, family, friends. Here, he has nothing. It’s like he is imprisoned here.”
Raza echoes this. “[In Iran] I worked for myself. I had a house, my own money. Here, I’m not allowed to work,” he says. “You can imagine why people are forced to work illegally,” says Atkins, although Raza hasn’t taken that route. If he needs clothes, his and Atkins’s friends buy them for him, and he eats at home with Atkins. When he first arrived in the UK, he spoke no English and enrolled on a college course but as soon as the government stopped his support he had to leave. Now he can’t afford to take another class, and his literacy is very low – he didn’t go to school – so he can’t teach himself from books. “It is very hard,” he says. The days are difficult if the others are working and he doesn’t have anything to do. “Sometimes I’ll just go to bed in the day, or I’ll watch TV.” He smiles and looks nervously at Atkins. “I am very, very happy to be here. I love it here, but it is very hard. What can I do? I can’t do anything.”
Atkins helps him with his English, but the benefits of their living arrangements are definitely not all one way, she says. “Obviously, we have days when we’re down but it puts our lives in perspective – we have our friends and family around, we have everything, materially, we could want. Raza’s circumstances are awful, and yet he’s so chirpy, he gets on with it. We just really admire him.”
A short while later, I hear from Atkins that Raza has been offered a place in a house with other Iranian asylum seekers by the council. He didn’t particularly want to leave Atkins and her husband, but if he didn’t take the place and the meagre support that was on offer – around £30 a week in food vouchers – he would have slipped through the system again. Even now, he is still under threat of deportation. “We were gutted that he couldn’t stay with us,” says Atkins. “We had a little goodbye dinner and he gave a really moving speech about how leaving us was like leaving another family, and that he would never forget what we’ve done. We’re really sad he has gone, but it’s a step towards Raza getting a bit of independence back.”

Mexico was so amazing! I did so many videos -Taking me ages to edit – they will be up soon!

I learnt so much about how it s possible to empower people who have little resources – not to be dependent on you or your schemes or projects – but how to empower people to help themselves out of poverty. It was really amazing to see in practice! I was really challenged about my own mind-sets and about how much we take for granted in the UK – health service, social welfare, communication, education…. the list goes on.  We really don’t know what we’ve got! I have been to some countries of similar economic status – with huge wealth gaps – but, somehow, it hit me more this time – maybe I’m a bit more aware in my old age!!!

The Armonia charity’s founders; Saul and Pilar Cruz, have taught me so much – they have really given their whole lives over to to creating social justice – not just with their money, intellect, contacts, education… but with most of the hours of every day – practically showing that they 100% care for people that are suffering injustice in Mexico. I know it sounds woolly but it is really true.

I’ve got soooooo much more to write…. and will add thoughts to my blog as I continue to process what just happened over the last 15 days!!

We’re on our way to Glastonbury now… our good old Orange roaming dongle means we can be on the internet in the car!! If you’re at Glastonbury, I will be performing at The Elemental venue – opposite the Jazz World Stage. Pop in to get the gig schedule…. I should know definate times for tomorrow

Hope you’re doing well!!

Much love,

Hannah xxx

I hope this finds you well!  So…. I have the joyous task of trying to raise £900 for a charity trip I am going on to Mexico in June!

Basically the raw facts are:

I could do with £550 before the 22nd April!! And the rest shortly afterwards! Ha ha!

So… I am doing a sponsored song-a-thon! I wondered if you would sponsor me per song that I write in 4 hours on Tuesday the 20th April.  I will be writing from 12-4pm on Tuesday! I will probably write some silly songs as well as some serious ones.  If you would like to give me a theme to write a personalised song for you (obviously for more cash!!) – let me know!!!

I will then release the songs on the blog my web-site for your amusement!

So…. Please could you let me know if / how much you would be willing to give me per song that I write! Then I will write with all my might!!! Please e-mail me at hannah@hannahatkins.com

More about the Mexico trip below.

Much love and many laughs!!

Hannah xxxxx

Manchester-Mexico Project

http://www.mexicomanchester.co.uk/

I have really enjoyed linking arts and social justice over the last few years – and this project is another way of doing this.  We will be taking 20 creatives from Manchester to go and serve the Armonia charity in their work with some of the poorest communities in the world.

Whilst out in Mexico, we will be working along-side the community groups to produce arts and music.  We will have the opportunity to perform with the local communities at some key venues which will help the charity to gain more respect and trust from their local governing authorities. Which will in turn, help towards their long-term partnerships.

Some of the stories of the children the Armonia project has helped from help-less poverty through scholarships to university is incredible! You can find some of these on http://armonia01.giving.officelive.com/armoniamexico.aspx

The leaders of Armonia; Saul and Pilar Cruz are very respected phychologists who mix theology with their phychological expertees and their Christian values to serve the the poor.  I am very excited that I will be able to work along-side them and learn as much as possible about how they work; empowering the poor through the creative arts and education.  I really believe that this will be invaluable learning which I can use for my dreams to do the same – both now, here in Manchester and in other nations in the future.

Thank you so much for your support.

Hannah

Happy New Year – slightly belated! Had a manic Christmas and have only just recovered and got my head round the new year!!

Went away for the first weekend to rest in the Lake District – check out the snow!!

Done a little ‘Happy New Year V-Blog for you…

Check out my gig schedule for the next few weeks at www.myspace.com/hannahatkins if you’re up for coming along!

Hope this year has started well for you

Big love,

Hannah x

So… I’m in Birmingham right now – just about to get ready to perform tonight at Hampton Manor ! It’s a lovely gig – the hotel is set in amazing grounds in South Birmingham, UK. Been all over the place – fun, but busy!

This week has been a little crazy – as most weeks have leading up to Christmas! I am having a technology nightmare – in a few weeks my lap-top died, my software on the lap-top I am now borrowing corrupted my phone and I managed to loose 2000 contacts and most of my diary on my phone!!! I have most of them back now I hope!! AND my sat-nav broke!!! RUBBISH!! So… it’s been a nightmare – makes me realise how much I rely on technology for appointments and directions – and not my brain!!!

I have a new web-site which is exciting!! Check it out! Also… great news … I have a new video of my HUGE 12 piece band that I used for my launch – so if you missed that… here is ‘You Make Me Fly’

Loads of love from me!!

Hannah xxx

Hope this finds you well!

Done a video blog for you in the toilet (please note not ON the toilet!!) of a virgin train…. couldn’t really do the video blog in my seat! on the train!

I’ll let you know how the meeting goes….

Lots of love,

Hannah x

Hope this finds you well

The gig at the Verve was great! Really enjoyed myself.  The audience and other musicians were so encouraging – it got a little bit embarrassing after the third round of applause after I’d finished!! It’s such a cute little venue – that there wasn’t anywhere to go after you get off the stage = apart from into the audience… the vibe in Leeds is really different to Manchester – Can’t put my finger on why – but I like the feel!

So… here’s my vblog from the night…

Totally saw a healing miracle! It was amazing!! I know prayer works – I’ve prayed all my life – but somehow it’s still amazing when a prayer gets miraculously answered straight away!! It was so funny how shocked the girl was!!

So… the rest of this week has been ok…. a cool project I’m involved with is a mentoring scheme run by GMMAZ (Greater manchester Music Action Zone) – I am part of a group of 4 mentors who work in the music industry… we each mentor 2-3 young people who may not have opportunities to pursue music,,, and we mentor the.  I did the same scheme a couple of years ago – it’s sooo rewarding

I did a gig tonight at Olives in Edgeworth – near Bolton – north manchester.  It’s in such a beautiful area! Rolling hills, amazing lakes – I love it!  The gig went well Met some cool people.

So… tomorrow I have a gig at Grill On The Alley in Manchester – the food there is awesome.  Come down if you can 8-10pm!

Much love,

Hannah x

I’ve done a little catch-up video for you… Very asleep when I did it! Morning voice, morning face, morning thinking!!!

So … the link to the homeless film project is…

www.doodledomotion.co.uk/humanitas

Maybe see you tonight at The Verve …

If not, I’m at Lammars on Sunday night again – be doing my stuff at 8pm.

Love Hannah xx

The gig with Four Hannah’s went really well tonight. I videod a few songs (one from each Hannah) -but again, I can’t bear the sound quality of my camera – it’s rubbish and distorts the sound all the way through!! Soon – oh very soon, I will have a camera with better sound!!

Here are some photos instead…

From the left: Hannah Hardwick (of Thoughts and Therapy), Hannah Jackson (stage name – Taylor Jackson), Hannah Kithen (from Joy Kitchen Band) and Hannah Atkins – me!!

Hannah Kitchen – on her last gig before she moves to Scotland – Booo

Me and My percussionist Russle (first gig with that set-up – really enjoyed have a conga!)

Hope you had a good day!

Love Hannah x