An asylum seeker has been volunteering for the YMCA through lockdown after they helped her get on her feet when she arrived to the town.

Daljeet Sachdeva, a Blackburn College student, has been volunteering with the charity for two years after they offered her help when she and her mother arrived to Blackburn.

Throughout lockdown, the 21-year-old from Afghanistan, has been distributing food parcels, organising and hosting educational activity Zoom calls for children, keeping the community informed via the YMCA platforms, giving talks in schools and leading an International Women’s Day online event.

Daljeet said: “I always remember my dad’s advice – he would say ‘Daljeet, no matter how cruel the world is, always try to do good work and help everyone’. This is the best advice anyone has ever given to me. I was very close to my dad so that’s why I will always follow his advice and footsteps."

She added: "When I arrived in Blackburn I felt quite helpless because it was a new place for me and there was no one in the town who could help me with my paperwork.

"I went to YMCA for help and after a while they asked me if I would like to join as a volunteer – I went home to think about it and said yes the next day."

Daljeet, who studies the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course at the college, also organises meetings and virtual parties for Christmas and Eid, planning topics and giving presentations and passing on and communicating information to members.

She has delivered a presentation in Tauheedul Islam Boys’ school were I presented the charities initiative of food parcels for asylum seekers which the students embraced and donated to the collection.

Daljeet continued: “Another reason I joined YMCA is because they are doing really good work to help others as much as they possibly can.

"I come from a country where people don’t get a lot of freedom, especially when it comes to women, so through YMCA I can be open minded and supportive."