The Hummingbird Project

Founded in 2015 as a grassroots organisation in Calais, we’re now a Brighton based charity working locally with young refugees & campaigning nationally. Our Brighton based services have been developed by listening & responding to the needs of local young refugees. 

We actively campaign for the rights & protection of refugees. Alongside our Young People, we have led significant national and international campaigns and continue to lobby for change. 

In the summer of 2015, after volunteering on the ground, our small team assessed what the biggest needs were for refugees in Calais and Dunkirk so we could focus our time and resources. We met with refugees in the camp and they described to us how they’d had their most basic human rights refused. We heard repeated stories of daily abuse and humiliation inflicted by gangs and, shockingly, the CRS French military police (paid for by the UK.) It was very clear that most people lacked access to basic health care, aid and shelter. Following the photograph of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi, (who had tragically drowned crossing the Mediterranean) appearing on the front pages of most mainstream newspapers, we quickly started to receive hundreds of emails offering help and thousands of pounds in donations. These donations enabled our team to grow significantly.

Work supported by Act for Change Fund

This grant supports the organisation to enhance support and opportunities for graduates of the Young Leaders Programme, the formation of a Youth Board and staffing resources.

Hummingbird Young Leaders

We’re a group for young people from any refugee background, who want to have their voices heard.  We meet most weeks (online and in-person) to learn new skills such as public speaking, communication and teamwork. And to discover how important things work like politics, law and change making. We also work together on campaigns to help create change. From making videos to educate the public, to talking to the media and politicians to change the way the UK treats refugees. We believe that the best way for you to have your voice heard, is to have a seat at the table! Too many conversations and decisions about the things that affect our life are made by people with no experience of what it’s like to be a refugee. 

But we know that we can change this. We deserve to be in those conversations and share important ideas on issues like the asylum process and safe routes to the UK can be made better. 

Youth Leaders School and College Video – https://youtu.be/Iijb94rPRaM

Help Us Save Family Reunion Campaign – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOQDy78K8cE