NEARLY £100,000 of the public’s money has been blown on taking
asylum seekers to theme parks and the seaside in a bid to help them
“integrate”.
Refugees have also enjoyed week-long adventure holidays, swimming and art classes and even lessons in mime.
The migrant “jollies” were last night blasted by furious campaigners who said they made “Britain look more like Butlins”.
They posed
for photos on visits to top tourist attractions including Thorpe Park in
Surrey, which costs one adult up to £49.99, the Tower of London (£22)
and Whipsnade Zoo, Beds (£19.50).
Jaunts to Brighton beach, the London Eye, the Cutty Sark and the
British Museum were also funded by the charity, which received £399,545
from the Big Lottery Fund this March.
One included a stay at
the £500-a-night Grenville House Outdoor Education Centre in Brixham,
Devon. The West London-based charity said in a newsletter: “Everyone
enjoyed it. We shall be looking to visit next year.”
After Thorpe Park it said: “There will certainly be a repeat.”
A trip to Whipsnade Zoo was a “summertime favourite” that asylum-seekers “always enjoy”.
According to its accounts, the charity spent £98,810 on outings and events over the past six years.
HRSG,
also funded by the Hillingdon Community Trust charity, says on its
website the trips “build confidence” for the refugees and “enable their
integration into British society”. It did not respond to requests to
comment.
The Big Lottery Fund said: "Hillingdon Refugee Support
Organisation was awarded £399,545 in March 2015 and £91,372 has been
paid out to date.
"The funding is for young people without families who have recently arrived as asylum seekers or refugees.
"The
majority of the grant money is being used for one to one counselling
sessions, education and life skills training to help them build their
confidence and independence."
Hillingdon Community Trust did not comment on the outings but referred to information on its website.
This
states it has given grants of £60,000 over three years to the charity's
Befriending Hillingdon Unaccompanied Minors Project¿Uniting People,
offering a "broad range of educational and recreational activities
aiding integration".
Source the sun
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