A safe space with a warm welcome for refugees and asylum seekers in Islington
The Pitch
Problem statement
The Home Office can take months or years to make a decision on asylum cases, and there is a growing backlog. In September 2022, there were 143,000+ people awaiting an initial decision, a 72% increase from 12 months ago. While people await the result of a case, they live in limbo, unable to work or make plans for their future. Many are alone, having left friends and family behind. Most experience a degree of depression or PTSD brought about by experiences of war or persecution in their country of origin. Asylum seekers must live on less than £6 per day and desperately need hot food, toiletries, and practical support. They also need safe spaces in London where they know they are welcome.
Solution
Our goal is to open our Centre in Islington every Wednesday and offer 40-50 people: - Hot food - Toiletries - Donations of food to take away - An advice service for often urgent issues eg. finding somewhere to sleep, needing a GP. We ask for £2,000 to support this. In the last few months, our register has been growing as more people are seeking our services as a result of the cost of living crisis. We are now serving more people on average each week. The impact will be that 40-50 asylum seekers and refugees will experience a warm welcome, have hot food and access to expert advice every Wednesday.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
We have been working with refugees and asylum seekers in London for 25 years. Our staff have a deep understanding of the issues people face, our Chief Executive has been with us for 22 years and has worked with more than 100 refugees each year. We have a strong reputation in the refugee community as an organisation, which can be trusted. The people who come to us usually come by word of mouth, they have experienced trauma and are often wary of seeking help, in many cases we are the only service reaching them. We have strong connections with many partners including funders, both high profile and local, and excellent links in the community in Islington.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Contribution to Referrals and Reception Administrator’s salary to welcome people in | £500 |
| Contribution to Support Service Coordinator’s salary, to offer advice and referrals | £500 |
| Contribution towards cost of providing hot meals for destitute asylum seekers | £500 |
| Contribution towards rent at our Centre in Islington | £500 |
Beneficiaries
60 people
Expected impact
We expect the impact of this project to be that 40-50 refugees and asylum seekers will have a warm, welcoming place to come each Wednesday for support. In total, we expect to work with 60 unique individuals across a three month period. We anticipate 30 of the 60 individuals to be young people (age 18-29). The project outputs will be that: 60 refugees and asylum seekers will have access to a free hot lunch every Wednesday. 60 refugees and asylum seekers will have a place to go, spend time and feel valued every Wednesday. 60 refugees and asylum seekers will have access to toiletries and donations in kind e.g. bread and buns, canned food, that they can take away with them. 60 refugees and asylum seekers will have access to expert advice and support to overcome urgent problems e.g. finding safe accommodation. The outcome we aim to achieve is that 60 refugees and asylum seekers will feel valued and move empowered to overcome the multiple and complex issues they face.
Track record
We have been working with refugees and asylum seekers for 25 years, providing holistic, long-term support. For many who come to our Centre in Islington, it is so much more than a place to visit and get help. One client Turran described: “The Centre changed our lives in an extremely positive way. They work really hard to create a strong and pleasant space for us. When I need help and advice about housing, education or healthcare and when I need emotional support, I know the Centre will be there for me, for us. The Islington Centre is like my second home. I am happy there.” Over the years, we have established a strong track record of supporting people to make real, meaningful changes in their lives. For example, last year 79 people accessed healthcare, 62 people overcame housing issues, 30 people enrolled in college courses, and 2 people studied at university. Now, with the cost of living crisis, the people who come to us need support even more. We ask you to consider supporting us.