May 14, 2010 @ 12:36 pm
‘Know your Community’; Refugee Week; NACCOMM conference; Hardship Fund
“Know Your Community”
Wednesday 19th May – 10 am – 3 pm Newton Hall, Newton Street.
The Welcome Centre in partnership with Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Management
See attached poster know-your-community1
A chance to find out about local resources for refugees, sanctuary seekers and economic migrants
Friday 21st May - NACCOMM conference in Bristol.
This is the quarterly gathering of the No Accommodation Network – supporting destitute sanctuary seekers http://boaztrust.org.uk/naccom/
11 am – 3 pm in Community Hall in St Nicholas of Tolentino church, Easton.
RSVP and more info : rachaelalicebee@hotmail.com
Refugee Week:
Thursday 17th June
Visit the Refugee Welcome Centre in Newton Hall for a cup of tea with a refugee!
Details of this and many other events available soon from http://bristolrefugeeweek.co.uk
Hardship Fund
Hardship Fund for Destitute Asylum Seekers
Over the past 2 years, the Bristol Branch of the British Red Cross, Refugee Action and Bristol Refugee Rights have worked together to provide hardship payments for destitute sanctuary-seeking individuals who are living in Bristol.
Together, we have sustained weekly payments of £10 for a maximum of 12 weeks to a number of individuals who have become destitute while waiting for the outcome of their application for asylum. This can happen at a number of different points in the process, and some people are living without regular support for long periods. More than 120 individuals have been helped in this way over the past year.
These funds, which have been a lifeline for those concerned and also a vital gesture of care, are now seriously threatened. British Red Cross are having to reduce their grant to local branches and asking them to restrict payments to a maximum of 4 weeks. All Refugee Action funds have had to go towards enabling people to travel to Liverpool, to lodge fresh evidence for their asylum claims (£80 per person per trip), which they are now required to do in person.
Following discussion with Refugee Action and Red Cross, Bristol Refugee Rights is launching a Hardship Fund, to raise the additional funds needed to provide these minimal weekly payments for up to 12 weeks per person. During this time we assist people to obtain better legal representation and make fresh claim for asylum. We estimate we need to raise about £4000 per year.
PLEASE GIVE A DONATION TO HELP RELIEVE THE MISERY OF THOSE WHO FLEE THEIR COUNTRY, ONLY TO FIND THEMSELVES DESTITUTE IN UK!
Make your donation to BRR, marking it for the Hardship Fund, and indentifying it for gift aid where possible.
Information will be available on the website about the status of this fund.
THANK YOU!
