We help about 1500 asylum seekers and refugees every year. Most - including hundreds of children - are in emergency accommodation likened by Refugee Action to ‘de facto detention’. Our community members face an increasingly hostile environment, and most are banned from working, existing on 3 basic meals a day and £9.95 a week. Others are evicted on to the streets once they have refugee status. Community support is vital for them to rebuild their lives, thrive and be able to contribute.

We will create communities where people seeking sanctuary feel they are welcome, belong and are treated as equals. Through our seven projects, we will offer holistic support: providing material essentials (e.g. second hand clothing, shoes, coats); offering signposting, advice and guidance; running mixed and women-only community hubs with language classes, art, cooking, children’s play; and ensuring children enter education and extra-curricular activities and parents can navigate systems.