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Meet Walid, Palestinian footie fan and lover of queues

1/7/2020

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​The things that Walid loves most about British culture are football, travel and … queuing!

“When I first came, I noticed the principle of ‘respecting the queue’. I saw how important it is to stick to your turn in the queue and respect everyone. Now if I see someone who doesn’t respect the queue, I’m looking at him like, ‘What you are doing is completely wrong!’

The 28-year-old from Palestine has been in the country for only four years, but feels the culture here is already having a big impact on him.

“I have started having the same principles as the community I live with. It feels like I’m a part of the society. The queue is a simple, very small thing, but if you take it as a principle in your life, with all of your acts or practices following, that would make a difference in your life.

“It’s about respecting others, so if you respect others in the queue, you will respect your neighbours, and you will respect people in the shop and you will respect your colleagues as well, so it comes from a bigger picture which is respecting others.

“It’s a lifetime thing.”

Walid loves travelling the UK to visit friends, but also has good things to say of his new home city, Leeds.

“I like London. Absolutely. It’s very expensive but very amazing. I’ve been to London, Birmingham – because I lived in Birmingham before. Nottingham, the whole Midlands area. I haven’t been to Scotland before, but I’m planning to go as well. Newcastle and Liverpool are the plan after the Covid-19 crisis.

​​“The best thing about being in Leeds is the city itself. It’s a very beautiful city, people here are very happy, they are very kind. It’s big and you feel at the same time that it’s small. You can live in an area and in just 20 minutes, walk to the city centre. It’s a really good place to live.”

It’s not just sight-seeing that has taken Walid around the UK, but also his love of football.

“I went to Old Trafford. I went to West Bromwich. It’s fantastic! I didn’t expect that. When I watched a Man Utd match at Old Trafford and the sound of all the crowd, the fans, when there was a goal, and how big is the stadium, shaking under your feet – it’s really one of the best feelings ever.”

After volunteering for two years, Walid got a job working with refugees and asylum-seekers for RETAS (Refugee Education Training Advice Service) in Leeds just two months before lockdown. He helps newcomers negotiate the system, and is especially aware how important it is to speak different languages.
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“One of my colleagues has learned Arabic. It’s really fantastic seeing a British gentleman or lady speak Arabic. You can say, ‘Yeah, this guy’s British, with green eyes, and then he speaks Arabic! Wow!’”

This article originally appeared on the Care4Calais website, and is reproduced here with kind permission
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About Us

Established in 2002, RETAS (Refugee Education Training Advice Service) has a vision to see all refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants to feel welcome and supported to fully integrate into society.

​We provide assistance with access to education, re-qualification, training and employment to help them better integrate in their communities. We strive to build confidence and hope in our service users, and empower them to build a safe and secure life here in the UK.

Contact Us

233-237 Roundhay Road
The Roundhay Road Resource Centre
Leeds, LS8 4HS
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Tel:

07949 796180

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Email: ​​info@retasleeds.org.uk

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RETAS is a registered Charity. Charity Number: 1121330 - Company Number 6365085
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Policies & Procedures
    • Our Partners & Funders
  • What We Do
    • ESOL Classes
    • Welcome to Leeds Project
    • 28 Day Transition Project
    • New Roots >
      • Engage
      • Aspire
    • Syrian Resettlement Programme
    • Signposting & Advocacy
  • Access Our Services
    • Refer To Us
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer With Us
    • Donate or Fundraise
    • Vacancies
  • Blog
  • New Page