In its first two years, we have awarded over £15,000 from the Eddie Byers Fund to give refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and school children in Palestine and Tanzania access to life-changing language projects.
In 2017 we helped small charities buy new materials, improve their classrooms, support students through exams so they could resume their studies or take up skilled employment, and gain the language they need to book doctors appointments or talk to their child's teacher. This year we have awarded grants to projects supporting refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, and providing English lessons and teacher training in Tanzania and Palestine.
Now English UK staff and friends are attempting to raise a further £15,000 by completing the Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge on Saturday 20 October to help more people in the coming years.
The fund exists to transform lives through learning English and was set up in memory of Eddie Byers, the late chief executive of English UK.
"Eddie believed in the transformative power of education and we are so proud of what we've been able to do in his name," said Helen Kind, chair of the Eddie Byers Fund awarding committee.
"So far around 250 refugees and asylum-seekers in the UK have been helped to learn English and integrate because of the fund. This year we'll not only be supporting over a hundred more, but also reaching thousands of school children in Tanzania and Palestine."
Help the Eddie Byers Fund continue to transform lives
"We want to support more projects and change more lives in Eddie's name. So please donate anything you can to our Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge and help us hit our £15,000 target."
"We are walking 24 miles and climbing three mountains in 12 hours - it's not going to be easy, but our industry was so generous and supportive when we did the National Three Peaks two years ago that it helped drive us on. It was an amazing moment when we reached £15k half way up Ben Nevis!"
And anyone who donates £500 or more will be featured on on our challenge t-shirts and named in our publicity.
Who is the Eddie Byers Fund helping this year?
The Eddie Byers Fund is open to UK-registered charities that can apply for funding of up to £2,500 for projects which will transform lives through learning English.
With special thanks so far to CES schools, Wimbledon School of English, ELC Brighton and Eastbourne and English UK London!
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