Boaz Trust » Destitution

Breaking barriers- waiting lists

lucy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:15:03 +0000

This week is Poverty and Homelessness Action Week and we’re joining with loads of organisations around the country to pray and take action for those facing social and economic barriers in our nation. Here at Boaz we’re focusing on destitute asylum seekers and refugees, who as you may well know, experience barriers to accessing the things many of us take for granted each day.

Today we focus on… waiting lists

Pray for those on the waiting list for Boaz accommodation list- currently 85 people, plus 12+ in the temporary night shelter. Please pray as well for our hosting network, that it may grow and that those who generously volunteer in this way would know how valued their support is! And finally, please pray for all our clients/ex-clients who are waiting to receive National Insurance numbers, housing benefit and pension credit.

Take action by considering joining our hosting network, if you’ve got a spare room in your house, or if you have a house you could lend Boaz! Please contact us if this is you!

Breaking barriers- mental health

lucy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:54:15 +0000

Today we focus on… mental health

The majority of destitute asylum seekers struggle with mental health problems, sometimes as a result of their experiences in their country of origin (for instance, post-traumatic stress disorder, or memory loss due to trauma) as well as experiences of destitution, exploitation and rejection in the UK, often due to the unjust and inhumane treatment they have faced.

Pray for our clients facing desperate and often uncertain situations, for peace, openness and courage. And please pray for our support workers, Vicky, Ros and Nigel, as they respond to the needs of our clients.

Act today by visiting the campaigns centre on the Freedom From Torture website, or by donating to our work…

Boaz client due to be deported- please pray

lucy — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:28:50 +0000

Glory, one of our Boaz clients who has been refused asylum since 2007, and has been in Boaz accommodation for the last 2 years, has been detained at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre and is due to be deported at the end of the month.

Please pray for safety if she is deported, for peace and comfort for her and all those who know her, and for compassionate people to work with her over the next few weeks. Please pray as well that if there is anything her solicitor or the team working with her can do, that they will be able to make quick and wise decisions in these final few days.

Thanks for your support- we’ll keep you updated.

Salford Hosting Info Eve

lucy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:17:55 +0000

Salford Hosting Information Evening

If you’re interested in hosting asylum seekers and you live in Salford, please come to a Salford Hosting Information Evening on Wednesday January 18th 2012. This event is organised by the Boaz Trust and United for Change.

The event will be taking place from 7.15pm – 9.00pm (refreshments from 7.00pm) at Pendleton Gateway Centre, Community Rooms 1&2, 1 Broadwalk, Salford M6 5FX (near Salford Shopping Centre).

All welcome! For details please contact Joyce, or go to our contacts page.

For full details, please download the following attachment:

Salford Hosting A4 Poster

The night shelter has begun!

lucy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:38:31 +0000

From 1st November this year, the Boaz winter night shelter has begun again- it doesn’t feel like 6 months since the last one closed, but there you go! The Boaz night shelter, accommodating up to 12 male asylum seekers each night in seven different locations around the city, is a unique and much-needed resource for the most desperate street homeless asylum seekers in Manchester.

Suzannah is the latest person to join the Boaz team, and she has the task of overseeing groups of volunteers at each of the seven churches that are participating this year, as well as managing referrals into the shelter itself. She is a great asset to the team and we’re enjoying having her in the office most days!

This year we have seen 9 men supported so far through the night shelter- some have come every night, others have only stayed for 1 night. Each person has a different situation, but all are refused asylum seekers, who have no recourse to public funds.

We’re hugely grateful to all the volunteers who have been so dedicated to the cause, and also to the British Red Cross who have provided the majority of the funding for the shelter this year. Without this support we would have really struggled, so thank you!

Interview with Suzannah to follow… watch this space!

Spare rooms needed!

lucy — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:22:13 +0000

Since we began back in 2004, hosting destitute asylum seekers has been a major part of our provision. It is particularly significant in emergency cases or for more vulnerable clients.

Boaz hosts generously offer their spare rooms as a safe place for an asylum seeker to stay for days, weeks or even months. It is a truly remarkable and life-saving service and we’re very grateful to each and every one!

Our network is currently operating at capacity, with 10 clients being accommodated in this way. As a result, we’re looking to expand our hosting network to enable us to help a greater number of vulnerable people.

If you would like to find out more about hosting with Boaz please join us for a Hosting Information Evening on Monday 17th October at 7.30 p.m. at 110 Oldham Road, Ancoats M4 6AG.

For further details or to let us know that you are planning to come, please contact Cat Arundale on 0161 202 1056, or email her by clicking here.

Finally, please feel free to download one of our info posters to display in your church or community centre! Just click on this link for the PDF copy (or contact Cat to get one sent out):

Hosting evening poster

‘No to Homelessness and Cashlessness of Refugees’

lucy — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:24:42 +0000

Destitution Conference taking place this weekend!

Another exciting element of Refugee Week, this event is taking place at Salford University on 20th June, and is being coordinated by Revive and ‘Salford Forum for Refugees and People Seeking Asylum’. Dave Smith is one of the speakers, along with various MPs and other speakers on this issue. There will also be workshops to attend!

Where: Salford University( Lady Hale Lecture Theatre)

When: 20 June 2011

Time: 9.30-16.00

To book a place, please complete the registration form below and e-mail to unitedforchange01@gmail.com:

Registration form united for change

Let Amar and Carolina stay together!

lucy — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 09:22:08 +0000

Amar Hassan Albadawi is from the Beja tribe of East Sudan – one of the most marginalised and impoverished tribes in Sudan. He sought asylum in the UK in 2005, and became involved with the Boaz Trust soon after. He has been detained by UKBA since May 2011 and, with the support of Amar and Carolina, we are launching a campaign for Amar’s release.

You can take action in 3 different ways…

1) Download this PDF document with information about the case and a letter to sign to Theresa May Mp (Home Secretary):

Info and letter to Theresa May

2) Download this PDF document and write an email with the contents of the letter to Theresa May Mp (Home Secretary):

Info and letter to Theresa May

3) Sign the petition online!

Thanks for your support- it is vital and really appreciated.

Refugee Month is hotting up

lucy — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:18:14 +0000

Hopefully you already know about the Boaz Carnival, a celebration of all things related to asylum seekers and refugees at the end of Refugee Week, on June 25th. If you haven’t already, click here to RSVP to the event!

However, we’d like to flag up another event that’s coming up that the very wonderful Mr Dave Smith (Boaz director) is speaking at!

He’s speaking at a Faith Network for Manchester event about Refuge, addressing the questions ‘Refugees, Asylum Seekers & Migrant Workers; what are the differences?’, ‘What do the Holy Books say about Refuge and Asylum?’ and ‘How could people of faith better support Refugee and Asylum Seekers?’

The dialogue is taking place on June 22nd, between 7-9pm at St John’s Church, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, M8 0AZ. It should be a great event!

Click on the below link to access a PDF with all the info on it…

Faith Says… About Refuge- 22nd June, 7pm-9pm

Donations urgently needed!

lucy — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:38:42 +0000

The Boaz Trust Free Shop happens once a month, and it’s proving to be a very popular event. As destitute asylum seekers don’t get any support from the government, they desperately need clothes, food and toiletries on a regular basis.

This is where you, our lovely Boaz supporters, can play your part! It’s the season for a good old spring clean and the Boaz Trust Free Shop will gladly take things off your hands.

We are in urgent need of good quality summer clothes for men and women, un-opened toiletries and tinned food for our next Free Shop at the beginning of July.

Please contact us for more information, to volunteer or to donate. We can arrange collection from some churches, so please call the office on 01612021056 to discuss this possibility.