Charity posters show support for refugees

Handwritten messages of welcome for asylum seekers have been posted around Sheffield in response to riots at hotels housing refugees in the summer, a charity has said.

Conversation Over Borders collected more than 3,000 messages of support from members of the public, which were initially sent to asylum seekers living in temporary accommodation.

The charity has now turned the notes into posters.

A spokesperson said the organisation wanted to create a "welcoming environment for all" following the riots in Rotherham in August.

One asylum seeker who received letters of support through the charity said: "I will put these up on my wall and look at them each day for motivation, and to feel loved when sometimes I feel lonely."

The charity's chief executive Colette Batten-Turner said the charity had seen a "massive mental health crisis" among the asylum seekers they work with.

"None of them can overcome trauma if they don't feel they are in a safe and supportive community," she said.

She said an "anti-migrant sentiment" had been fostered by housing people in hotels and separating them from the wider society.

The posters, which are part of a national campaign, have been displayed in busy areas such as train stations and shopping centres, the charity said.

"Something as simple as writing a message is such a powerful but simple, easy, and accessible way for people to feel like there's hope," said Ms Batten-Turner.

"Christmas is a really impactful time where lots of people are donating to charity, volunteering, or thinking about giving back to their community, so it felt really important to run the messages of welcome at this point.

"It's a time of solidarity and compassion - it felt like the perfect moment," she said.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.