Faiths – communities of faith and belief, including but not limited to: Baha’i, Buddhist, Catholic, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Quaker, Secular, Sikh …..
in Action – ….. taking positive steps to meet the needs of the asylum seekers and refugees in our wider communities
Exploration of the valuable contribution to the lives of asylum seekers and refugees made by communities of faith and belief.
Looking in detail at projects already happening in and around Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and at those further afield from whom we can learn so much!
Engagement with local communities of faith and belief, with information and encouragement for those interested in establishing or participating in activities, events and initiatives in support of asylum seekers and refugees.
May 2010 – the start of the project.
Leicester Council of Faiths
Invited to a meeting of the Leicester Council of Faiths to talk about our work and the local situation facing asylum seekers and refugees.
The Leicester Council of Faiths was formed in 1986 and its membership includes representatives of the city’s Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities.
The meeting started with those present, who were representing the Baha’i, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities, being invited to highlight the viewpoint of their particular faith relating to asylum seekers and refugees, and so we heard many positive words about ‘welcoming the stranger’ and ‘caring for those in need’.
Quotes recorded by the Leicester Council of Faiths Equality and Diversity Officer included:
Founders and central figures of each religion experienced banishment and exile for their principles and teachings.
They have stood up against oppression and sacrificed themselves for those who could not protect themselves.
Having a guest in your home is like having a visit from God there.
Our God-given duty is to serve, heal and educate those from outside our communities, just as we would our own.
As we become more God-conscious, we have to change our attitude and behaviour toward the poor, the needy and the oppressed.
Justice is the most important thing in the world and it needs to be brought to the world on a world scale if we want to bring an end to oppression.
to read the full article follow the ‘blogger’ link at the bottom of the Leicester Council of Faiths website, and then click on ‘City of Sanctuary’.
For the second part of the meeting I talked about some of the work we do, for example:
the presentations we offer to ‘faith’ groups, about our work and/or about asylum seekers and refugees
our Golden Giver Challenge, where ‘faith’ groups and others join the ‘challenge’ to make 50 donations of food / toiletries to the British Red Cross within a period of 12 months
and I also highlighted some of the local projects led by ‘faith’ organisations which have been set up over the past few years increasing the support available to the asylum seeker community, for example:
the Open Hands Trust, part of Trinity Life Church
the drop-in sessions run by the Centre Project, part of the Central Baptist Church
the Welcome Project, and Women’s Welcome Project, established by the Diocese
more details of these projects, and others, to follow.
May 2010
Leicester Faiths Support Group for Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Bi-monthly meeting of the Leicester Faiths Support Group for Asylum Seekers and Refugees – formed nearly 10 years ago and over the years meetings have been attended by representatives from various faiths and beliefs, most recently: Baptist, Church of England, Methodist, Progressive Jewish, Quaker and Roman Catholic.
The first part of the meeting was the annual AGM, the usual official reporting of facts and figures, and reflection on the achievements of the year gone by which included:
donations to: Refugee Action – towards production of the annual Destitution Survey report; the Refugee Council – for booklets about asylum seekers circulated in the run-up to the general election; the British Red Cross – in support of their local work with asylum seekers; and the Welcome Project and Women’s Welcome Project – local projects for asylum seekers run by volunteers
the purchasing of vouchers for swimming and/or gym sessions for those asylum seekers identified as in particular need of theraputic physical activities by the local primary healthcare provider, the Assist Service
a presentation and display highlighting local work in support of asylum seekers and refugees, at the National Inter-Faith Week 2009 launch event at County Hall
regular contact with political representatives regarding: the detention of asylum seeking children; the welfare of detained asylum seekers; forced deportations, and questions were asked of the prospective parliamentary candidates in the run-up to the general election to ascertain their views about asylum seekers
The second part of the meeting was the usual sharing of news and developments, including:
an update on the local roll-out of Azure cards (a payment card accepted by some supermarkets and a very limited number of other retailers, issued instead of cash) for those asylum seekers on S4 (Section 4), including the response of retailers
the outcome of a recent consultation about the future of the primary healthcare provider for asylum seekers, the Assist Service
a request from the Welcome Project and the Women’s Welcome Project for additional volunteer support
details of the move of the Freedom Club, a youth club for unaccompanied asylum seekers under 18 years, from the Centre Project to new premises
the draft programme of events for Refugee Week 2010
and the group agreed to allocate another £300 from it’s funds for gym sessions for those identified by Assist.
Details of the next meeting: Tuesday 6th July 2010 at 3pm, at the Jewish Synagogue, 24 Avenue Road, Leicester LE2 3EA.
May 2010
Trinity Life Church and the Open Hands Trust
I was first invited to meet with Susan and David Hind at Trinity Life Church (TLC) in the summer of 2008, after making an urgent appeal for food for the British Red Cross (BRC – who supply the majority of food parcels for local destitute asylum seekers).
Following a discussion about the difficult situation facing many local asylum seekers, TLC offered:
to organise a trip to Hunstanton for a coach full of the destitute asylum seekers who were being supported by the BRC
to provide and deliver weekly food hampers for those destitute asylum seekers unable to collect food from the BRC
and since then have hosted various events including: A Seasonal Celebration of Sanctuary – an afternoon of entertainment, with a traditional home cooked Christmas dinner and a food parcel to take away, for approx. 125 destitute asylum seekers!
Leicester City of Sanctuary has worked closely with Trinity Life Church since that first meeting, and it’s time to catch-up with Sue Smout over a cup of coffee!
Sue gave an update on the Open Hands Trust – a charity founded by Trinity Life Church with the Open Hands Unit at its heart.
The Unit opened early in 2009 following its conversion from an commercial garage, and has developed into a busy community space full of donated clothing, footwear and household items, displayed as in any shop with changing rooms to ensure clothes are a good fit, next to a cafe area with tables and chairs, and lots of comfy sofas ensuring people feel welcome to linger, with a team of friendly volunteers happy to help in any way they can!
Open Hands takes referrals for those in need (including asylum seekers and refugees) of:
a ‘Food Hamper’, clothing and footwear, baby clothing and equipment including a ‘New Baby Hamper’, and household items including furniture and a ‘New Home Hamper’
‘Acts of Kindness’, friendship, refreshments and toast, and once a week a hot meal, are also on offer!
Demand is constantly increasing as the list of referral organisations sending through details of those in need grows all the time, and the local British Red Cross project which supports asylum seekers and refugees has been so impressed they now refer all their clients instead of issuing these essential supplies themselves.
The popularity of the weekly hot meal is greater than ever and each week more than 50 people are provided with a two-course hot meal by another team of volunteers – often the first proper meal eaten for days. One of the comments on the Open Hands website reads:
… I haven’t eaten properly for seven days. I am worried about my health. This is my first hot meal all week.
As if they are not already doing an immense amount Sue wants to know:
What more can we do?
We talk about forthcoming changes at the British Red Cross and an idea they have – more details later …
We also chat about the forthcoming Refugee Week activities and our focus on the 20 Simple Acts, including:
say a little prayer for me, and have tea with a refugee
both of which get Sue thinking ….. and so came about the Refugee Week Tea Party at the Open Hands Unit, including a prayer corner!
June 2010
Refugee Week Tea Party at the Open Hands Unit
Homemade scones, jam and clotted cream, hot and cold drinks, jewellery making, story telling, games and a prayer corner were all on offer to those attending.
No-one wanted to be the first to take a plate of scones, but once the rush had started they soon disappeared and I for one enjoyed them immensely!
June 2010
British Red Cross – Leicester Refugee Support project
I talk to Cathy Stevenson, the Service Manager: Refugee Support, about the support they receive from ‘faith’ communities and the difference it makes to them.
They are supported in many ways, including:
regular donations of food, toiletries and money from individuals and communities made because of their beliefs
donations linked to specific times of the year e.g.: Ramadan, Harvest Festival, Christmas
but not only through donations, also through:
‘faith’ led projects which they can refer clients to for additional services or support, such as: Open Hands, the Centre Project, the Welcome and Women’s Welcome Projects
Financial donations are used to pay for, for example: bus tickets to enable destitute asylum seekers to get to regular compulsary appointments with UKBA (UK Border Agency) at the Reporting Centre in Loughborough, or train tickets for appointments with solicitors in other parts of the country – either because of the lack of provision in Leicester or because of an enforced move from another area part-way through the asylum claim.
The support and generosity of ‘faith’ communities is vital to the work of organisations like the British Red Cross, and without it the situation for asylum seekers and refugees locally would be substantially worse.
July 2010
Leicester Faiths Support Group for Asylum Seekers and Refugees
The latest in the ongoing programme of meetings, hosted for the first time by the Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation at their synagogue on Avenue Road.
An update was given on Azure cards and the new restriction on purchasing gift-cards/vouchers which were then exchanged for an equivalent amount of cash through our Voucher Exchange scheme, meaning for example: an asylum seeker with a broken leg having to walk for miles to and from a supermarket with bags of shopping, or to a hospital appointment on the other side of the city, because of the total lack of access to any cash for the bus fare …..
Cathy from the British Red Cross (BRC) attended to give a brief presentation about their current areas of work.
As always they are very busy, particularly with those who are destitute, providing food parcels and case-work support to try and improve the difficult situation people have found themselves in.
Staffing changes bring good and less good news as a successful funding application means new staff later in the year, and also one long-term staff member will soon be leaving for a more senior position within BRC in Milton Keynes.
Increased staff numbers will not fit in the current London Road office and so a move to another BRC building in Oadby will also be happening later in the year, meaning essential changes to the current ‘food parcel’ distribution system and Cathy asked that any organisations interested in getting involved get in touch.
A donation towards the work of Cathy and her team was agreed by the group.
The programme of Refugee Week events was reviewed and positive feedback given.
It was agreed that minutes of the Leicester Faiths Support Group for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (LFSGASR) can be included on the new LFSGASR section on this website, which will be developed soon to give more information about the work of the group!
Those who attended the launch of this years Destitution Survey report, attended by Sir Peter Soulsby MP, fed back that they found it very moving. The report showed an increase in the number of destitute asylum seekers since last year continuing the ongoing pattern, and the inclusion of case-studies this year, some of which were read out at the launch, makes it much more hard-hitting.
Details of the next meeting: Wednesday 22nd September 2010 at 3pm, at the Friends Meeting House, 16 Queens Road, Leicester LE2 1WP.
July 2010
British Red Cross and Trinity Life Church
Following previous discussions with both Cathy at the British Red Cross and Sue at Trinity Life Church’s Open Hands Trust, time for a three-way meeting. Things are looking very positive – I’m sure there will be good news to follow!
July 2010
Faiths in Action Newsletter for July
Received my latest copy of the Faiths in Action Newsletter with details of ‘inter-faith’ projects happening elsewhere – have to remember to send in something for the next issue!
August 2010
New Management Committee member
Following my presentation to the Leicester Council of Faiths back in May we have received a nomination for a place on the new Leicester City of Sanctuary Management Committee, which will be elected at our AGM, from someone closely involved with the Leicester Council of Faiths and also East Midlands Faiths Forum groups, who will hopefully be a very useful person to talk to in relation to this project!
August 2010
Flashmob Iftar
Flashmob – a group of people who organise themselves, using electronic media such as mobile phones or the internet, to gather together in a public place ……
Iftar – the meal eaten by Muslims to break their fast every day after sunset during the Islamic month of Ramadhan
Volunteers from the Leicester branch of the Islamic Society of Britain organised the first local Flashmob Iftar, a Muslim initiative to share food and a ‘joyful spirit’ which started in London and Manchester in 2008, aimed generally at ‘communities that are strangers’ and locally at asylum seekers and those who are homeless or in hostels.
September 2010
FAN (Friends and Neighbours) group at the Quaker Meeting House
FAN groups are an idea which started in Cardiff in 2003, taken from The FAN Charity website:
FAN stands for Friends and Neighbours. Who is my friend? Who is my neighbour? Come to a FAN Group and you’ll meet friends and neighbours and feel more hopeful for the world. It’s a great opportunity for local people to meet newcomers. Very few people know all their neighbours these days!
We took the original idea and decided to use the model to start local groups where asylum seekers, refugees and members of the local community can get together and get to know more about each other, using the FAN group idea of sitting in a circle, each speaking in turn about an agreed topic, all listening in silence, and then chatting together over tea and coffee.
This gives the opportunity, through topics such as: how we say ‘hello’; my favourite food; or a traditional wedding in my country; to get an insight into, and an understanding of, each others cultures and traditions.
We are hoping to get FAN groups established at various locations across Leicester, to make it as easy as possible for asylum seekers without money for bus fares (many asylum seekers receive their limited support through a debit card system which means they never have access to cash to pay for things like bus fares) to easily walk to a local group – finding suitable locations and publicising the groups to asylum seekers are going to be big challenges, but the Quaker Meeting House is very welcoming and we are sure word-of-mouth will ensure their growth and success!
September 2010
Inter Faith Week 2010 planning group meeting
Inter Faith Week is now an annual occurance, having first being celebrated in 2009, and this year it will run from Sunday 21st to Saturday 27th November.
The Inter Faith Week website describes the week as:
a week in which faith groups and their places of worship, inter faith bodies, schools and institutions of further and higher education, local authorities and other public agencies, as well as others, are encouraged to hold their own events and to highlight the importance of inter faith understanding and cooperation and greater awareness about the faith communities and their engagement in building community.
The Week includes and highlights activities organised by bodies around the country designed to:
Strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels in our increasingly diverse society
Encourage local faith groups and communities to reach out to each other and build stronger bonds of understanding and co-operation
Increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, with a particular focus on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society
Gain positive profile for inter faith initiatives, locally, regionally and nationally, as well as for the overall work of building good inter faith relations
Increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs
Encourage the development of new partnerships within local communities and by faith communities with statutory and third sector partners
I was invited along to a meeting of organisations interested in organising events locally, including: the Leicester Council of Faiths and Leicestershire County Council, where we shared ideas and discussed planned events.
I mentioned our plan to hold an event to promote the valuable work faith communities do to support asylum seekers and refugees, which was well received with various suggestions regarding content and the offer of a venue – County Hall!
October 2010
New developments at the FAN group – Appealing4!
During the chatting over tea and coffee following the ‘conversation circle’ sessions we started to hear about small things our asylum seeker friends needed to make their lives that little bit easier, for example: a scientific calculator for someone at college on a maths course; replacement bicycle tyres and inner-tubes; a mobile phone handset to enable the solicitor to contact their asylum seeker client about their asylum claim.
Previously when we have been asked to help with something like this we have made specific appeals which have always had a very generous response, but now hearing so many requests we had to do things differently and so Appealing4 is launched – regular appeals giving details of all the different items currently needed, giving new homes to items which are no longer required!
October 2010
You, Me – Together
November 2010
Faiths in Action in Inter Faith Week
Faiths in Action, our Inter Faith Week event, launching Inter Faith Week in Leicester and Leicestershire, at County Hall in Glenfield.
The evening started with entertainment from the Zimbabwean Association Choir, before the 70+ people present took their seats in the Council Chamber.
Resham Singh Sandhu, Chair of the Inter Faith Forum for Leicestershire, welcomed everyone to the event and to Inter Faith Week 2010. Pam Inder, Chair of Leicester City of Sanctuary, then introduced the rest of the speakers, starting with:
Barbara Butler from Christians Aware, launched Meeting Jews – the latest in a series of books exploring various faiths, which also includes: Meeting Hindus, Meeting Sikhs, Meeting Buddhists and others.
Catherine Stevenson from the British Red Cross, gave an overview of their work with asylum seekers locally – particularly with those who are destitute as they are not allowed to work and not entitled to any benefits.
Salma Ravat from the Islamic Society of Britain, talked about initiatives volunteers from the Leicester branch have run recently and are planning for the months ahead, including: the Flashmob Iftar shared meals aimed at asylum seekers, the homeless and those in hostels; and Meet ‘n’ Eat – a new project to be launched in December.
Dave Smith from the Boaz Trust, inspired the whole room with his presentation about why he started the group, the various initiatives they have established over the years, their successes, and the struggles they are still facing everyday.
November 2010
Visitors from the ‘House of God’ project, Sweden
We are asked to meet with visitors to the St Philip’s Centre who are here to learn about inter faith engagement in Leicester – specifically in relation to asylum seekers, as they also work to support asylum seekers through their ‘social centre’ in Sweden.
I talk about our recent Inter Faith Week event and our work to reach out to the various local communities of ‘faith and belief’, the presentations we offer to faith groups, and the various initiatives we encourage faith groups to get involved with, including: FAN groups, Appealing4, and the Golden Giver Challenge.
Other speakers include: Aidan from Refugee Action talking in particular about the Fresh Start house for destitute asylum seeking women and the support provided by the Diocese of Leicester; and John from Fareshare Leicester, an initiative of the Diocese of Leicester, talking about the ‘waste’ food they direct through to various organisations providing food parcels for those in-need, including asylum seekers.
We are given a hand-out about the ‘House of God’ and the Kallan Centre for advice and support:
a joint initiative between Muslims and Christians
with a mosque adjacent to a church
and shared spaces for joint activities
and for initiatives to support local communities
including: language classes, and access to healthcare or legal assistance
for young people and families, those who are isolated
and for ‘those who find themselves in a vulnerable life situation’
House of God: Henrik Larsson, 073 461 3394, henrik.larsson@svenskakyrkan.se
Kallan Centre: Pernilla Landin, 070 421 7553, pernilla.landin@svenskakyrkan.se
December 2010
Eat ‘n’ Meet launch event at the Town Hall
January 2011
Leicester Faiths Support Group for Asylum Seekers and Refugees meeting
January 2011
Raheema and the St Philip’s Centre
I am invited to a meeting with Raheema, Youth Engagement Worker from the Youth Hub at the St Philip’s Centre, and Santok from Refugee Action, to discuss how the Youth Hub can make better links with young asylum seekers and refugees in Leicester.
The Youth Hub is a multi-faith group of young people between 16 and 26 years, who work together on various activities including many volunteering and fundraising projects. They are keen to learn more about asylum seekers and refugees, and to welcome young asylum seekers and refugees into the group.
We discuss in particular ‘unaccompanied asylum seeking children’, those young asylum seekers under the age of eighteen who arrive here without a parent or guardian to care for them, and the need to support this group to access mainstream activities and facilities available to other young people.
We agree to start by running Navigating Safety, a Refugee Action role playing activity, with the current Youth Hub members which will help them better understand what the asylum seekers they will be meeting may have experienced.
Then to reach-out to young asylum seekers and refugees, let them know about the Youth Hub and encourage them to get involved!
We also talk about Refugee Week 2011 coming up in June, and Raheema is sure the group will want to organise an event or get involved in something else that is happening!
So for now we wait for confirmation of the date for Navigating Safety, and look forward to new opportunities to welcome young asylum seekers and refugees to Leicester ……
February 2011
Refugee Week 2011 coordination meeting
The first meeting this year for those thinking about about organising an event or activity for Refugee Week in June, late this year – last year the first meeting was in December but this time so many organisations and groups are losing funding that there is uncertainty about who will still be around in June.
Two events so far with confirmed dates:
Saturday 18th June – Town Hall Square, a day of music, singing, dancing, children’s activities, information stalls and more, organised by the British Red Cross!
Saturday 25th June – International Football Tournament at St Margaret’s Pastures, 20+ five-a-side teams representing a broad range of organisations and countries, supported by Refugee Action.
Also, a Summer Fair at the Quaker Meeting House, with stalls and refreshments etc., offers of an Art exhibition and painting demonstration from an asylum seeker looking for a space, and a play about Somalia written by a local Quaker looking for a venue!
February 2011
More visitors from Sweden!
Following our invitation to a meeting with a Swedish group visiting the St Philip’s Centre back in November, we are invited to meet with another Swedish group, this time approx. 25 Christians and Muslims here to learn about life for Christians, Muslims, and the wider community here in Leicester.
I arrive about 15 minutes early and join the group to listen to Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra talking about life in Leicester as a prominent member of the Muslim community.
Then I talk to the group about our work, answering many questions, before leaving them with a pack of information for those who want to find out more!