We are a registered charity that works with displaced young people aged 16-25 living in Surrey. We provide educational, therapeutic, and community-focused activities that combat social isolation and empower young people to build safe and fulfilling lives in the UK. We currently support ~300 young people from 21 countries. The experience of resettlement is often overwhelming and difficult, leaving them vulnerable to loneliness, isolation and anxiety, negative external influences or self-destructive behaviour. We want to engage our young people to embrace opportunities available to them, and to develop their unique talents and abilities so they can move forward with renewed optimism.

Every summer for the past four years, Big Leaf has run a Summer School programme, focused on core English/Maths proficiency, and physical activity/exercise, alongside workshops with community partners such as Surrey Police, Surrey University, and members of the community. This programme has been very popular with Big Leaf beneficiaries and has gradually evolved and grown year-on-year both in scope (breadth of the programme) and reach (number and diversity of participants). The Summer School is well aligned with the aims of the HYSA in two main ways: Firstly, combating isolation and assisting with everyday interactions guards against negative external influences (eg vulnerability to contact with extremist or criminal groups, exploitative and illegal working arrangements); and secondly, the workshops specifically focus on law and safety to help build understanding and trust in the police and other authorities (eg accidental criminal behaviour due to misunderstanding of UK law, and antisocial behaviours around drugs and alcohol).

Big Leaf Foundation

Awarded 2024-2025