IDEAS FOR GETTING INVOLVED

• Join City of Sanctuary Bradford steering group! (We currently meet monthly on a Weds at 4.30pm in BD7)
• Ask your group, organisation, place of worship or business to pass a resolution of support for Bradford City of Sanctuary (can be printed from our website)
• Display one of our “We welcome asylum-seekers and refugees” signs outside your building or office (contact us and we’ll send one).
• Invite a refugee or asylum-seeker to speak to your community about their experiences.
• Publicise City of Sanctuary, Refugee Week and other refugee events within your organisation or community.
• Publicise opportunities for voluntary work with asylum-seekers and refugees (see below) – or offer volunteer placements for suitably skilled asylum-seekers or refugees with your organisation.
• Invite refugee groups to your community social events (let us know and we’ll pass the invitation on).
• Join a team taking the brilliant ‘Refugee Voices’ drama project into local schools
• Offer befriending or advocacy to asylum-seekers in your area.
• Offer English (ESOL) tuition to asylum seekers ineligible for state-funded classes
• Offer meeting or worship space to a refugee community group.
• Raise funds for City of Sanctuary, BEACON, BIASAN, Abigail Project, Bradford Action for Refugees.
• Provide short or longer-term accommodation to homeless asylum-seekers by offering a spare room (BEACON), or by contributing to the rent for a house (Abigail Project).
• Consider appointing refugees to positions of responsibility in your community.
• Do you have expertise in making funding applications? Then we would be very pleased to hear from you!
These are just a few suggestions. If you have a skill or particular interest that isn’t mentioned above, get in touch and we may be able to suggest a way that it could be used to benefit asylum seekers and refugees locally.

SOME VOLUNTEEERING OPPORTUNITIES
There are many projects which support asylum-seekers and refugees in Bradford District, and all would welcome new volunteers…
ABIGAIL HOUSING
Destitution Project: housing for asylum seekers made homeless by negative asylum decisions. Currently two houses in Bradford, one in Leeds. Contact: Anne on 07908 364112; anne.hebden@btinternet.com
Refugee Housing Project: Temporary accommodation, currently only in Leeds, for those whose NASS support has just ended, and then help in finding suitable longer-term accommodation. Contact: John on 07743 189314; john@abigailhousing.org.uk
BEACON (Bradford Ecumenical Asylum CONcern)
As well as campaigning on asylum issues and awareness-raising within churches (and beyond), BEACON has three projects:
• McKenzie Friends are trained volunteers who provide moral support and informed help for those without access to legal representation appealing against asylum decisions, or wishing to make fresh claims.
• CHAT (Care and Hospitality at Thornbury) offers a warm welcome and simple refreshments to asylum seekers waiting for their appeals to start at the Asylum and Immigration Hearings Centre at Phoenix House.
• The Hosting Project provides short, medium and longer-term accommodation for destitute asylum seekers within the homes of volunteer hosts
Contacts:
BEACON office: 32 Merton Road, Bradford. BD7 1RE, 01274 727525 (721626) beacon@beaconbradford.org
Hosting Project: Will Sutcliffe: host.beacon@yahoo.com (07505 053149)
McKenzie Friends: 07531 576330 – or via the office

BIASAN.
Thursday Drop-In. Held 6 to 8pm at Bradford Resource Centre, Chapel St, Little Germany. . A good meal is provided and donated clothing and goods are often available. Members are signposted to relevant agencies and other sources of support. On the first Thursday of the month there is usually an Open Meeting with interpreters to plan future activities, air views and disseminate information. There is no distinction between ‘client’ and volunteer, between continuing and ‘failed’ asylum seekers and successful refugees – all are seen as members.
Woman’s Club. For women and their children. Held at Frontline Initiative, Green Lane from 1-4pm every Thursday. The Club provides opportunities for women to socialise, whilst playworkers provide activities for their children. A health worker, befriending co-ordinators from BafR and a worker from Bradford Education regularly attend.
English Lessons. Run by a volunteer teacher on Wednesday + Thursday after-noons from 4.30-6.30 at Bradford Resource Centre.
Special Events including trips to the seaside.
No office base or ‘phone number. Email: biasan@bigfoot.com – or just drop in on a Thursday evening.
BRADFORD ACTION FOR REFUGEES
The Advice Service provides advice and assistance to refugees and asylum seekers who reside in the Bradford District on a number of issues such as housing, employment, health and wellbeing, integration and welfare benefits.
The Children and Families Project (Mondays 4-6pm at Frontline Initiative, Green Lane, Manningham) is designed to meet the educational, social and developmental needs of refugee and asylum seeking children and their families. It provides three core programmes that are designed to enable families to better integrate into British society as well as support the local community in being able to better understand asylum seekers and refugees
40A Piccadilly Bradford BD1 3NN . 01274 762 100 www.bafr.org.uk

STAR (Student Action for Refugees)
Weekly student-run drop in for asylum seekers every Monday from 6 to 8pm at Desmond Tutu House 2 Ash Grove (opposite the University) and is open to all.
Contact: Chris Howson: 01274 727034, mob. 07846 099643.
Email: chrishowson@yahoo.com
Also …………

VOLUNTEERING BRADFORD hold information on a wide range of local volunteering opportunities and are keen to help you find out more about volunteering in the Bradford District.

Visit their drop-in at:
The Volunteer Centre
19 – 25 Sunbridge Rd
BD1 2AY
Tuesday: 10.00-12.00
Thursday: 10.00 -3.00
Tel: 01274 725434
info@volunteeringbradford.org