Refugee organisation issues urgent plea for help

An organisation which supports young refugees in East Sussex has issued an urgent appeal for donations.

Hummingbird in Brighton and Hove cares for about 300 young refugees each year, but said it was facing a funding crisis.

It said several of its grants had ended at the same time that it was waiting to hear if applications for replacement funds had been successful.

The organisation runs social activities and even provides an in-house clinical psychologist.

Costs run from £50 a week to hire a room for a youth group up to £1,800 a month to rent accommodation for a refugee.

"Over the last 18 months, acquiring funding for our services has been exceptionally difficult," said founder and director Elaine Ortiz.

"There is now huge competition for small organisations like ours and we are not always able to keep up with much larger, better resourced organisations."

Hummingbird's appeal has a target of £34,000.

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