September 12, 2012 / by lucy / Make A Comment / Filed under Meaningful Lives, News, Training, Volunteer
The Boaz Trust is launching a short term volunteering programme especially for students at universities across Greater Manchester!
Starting from 10th October, we are running an 8 week course every Wednesday afternoon within Boaz, where students will get a flavour of the issues our clients face and the opportunity to meet and work with them in a social setting.
It’s a great chance to find out more about asylum issues and meet some of the amazing people behind the headlines!
Here’s what Katie, one of our student volunteers, says about Boaz:
“I have really enjoyed my time volunteering with Boaz and I have taken part in a variety of activities from gardening to sewing classes with asylum seekers. My highlight would definitely have to be our involvement in the Manchester Day Parade when a group of women who had created costumes and rehearsed dance routines for weeks prior to the parade danced their way round Manchester in front of a crowd of about 80,000. The look of joy and excitement on their faces is a feeling I will never forget!”
Spaces are limited to 8 per term and we are excited about receiving applications from the various universities around the city. The dates for Autumn 2012 are 10 October to 28 November. Please see our Volunteering page for more info- thanks!
April 23, 2012 / by lucy / Make A Comment / Filed under Destitution, Housing, News, Training
Have you got a spare room in your house? Have you ever thought about hosting a destitute asylum seeker? We have a urgent need for new hosts, so now could be the time to give it a go!
Hannah, a long-term host for the Boaz Trust, says this about her experience: “My husband and I have been Boaz hosts for nearly three years now. It has been such an incredible experience, and each person we have hosted, has added so much to our family home. We have thoroughly enjoyed learning about different cultures and having out British values sometimes very rightly challenged! Our present Boaz guest (who has been living with us for over a year), and our previous guest have become very much a part of our family. Boaz make it so easy for us to welcome people in – and we always feel supported by their team. I thoroughly recommend being a host family to anyone and everyone.”
We’re having a Hosting Info Eve on
Thursday 3rd May, from 7:30pm at our
office in Ancoats, and you’d be really welcome to come along and find out more. There’s no pressure to sign up there and then, but it is a great opportunity to hear stories, ask questions and be inspired! Please
RSVP if you’re planning to come- and feel free to spread the word!
January 25, 2012 / by lucy / Make A Comment / Filed under NACCOM, News, Training
NACCOM is a national network of 27+ organisations working with destitute people groups across the UK. The annual conference is coming up on February 4th and if you’re already a member of NACCOM or you’d like to become one, please follow these instructions to sign up!
1. Download and fill out registration form. Click to download registration form —> Sheffield_2012_Registration_form.
2. Return with cheque made payable to Boaz Trust: The Boaz Trust, First Floor, 110 Oldham Road, Manchester M4 6AG.
3. Registrations close Friday January 27th
Programme for the day…
10.15 Registration & Refreshments
10.45 Welcome Robert Spooner, ASSIST Sheffield
10.55 NACCOM progress report Dave Smith , Boaz Trust Manchester
11.05 National Policy Review Mike Kaye, Still Human Still Here
11.35 Comfort Break
11.45 Workshop 1
12.45 Lunch, Stalls, Networking – Regional marketplace
1.45 Working with Green Pastures tbc
2.00 NACCOM Website overview
2.10 Workshop 2
3.10 Refreshment Break (and Feedback Forms!)
3.30 Q & A Panel Session
4.00 Close
Workshops:
Workshops will be run simultaneously – you can choose which is most relevant for your project…
1. IN-DEPTH HOUSING Workshop John Hebden, Abigail Housing Leeds / Paul Catterall, Open Door North East
How can you make housing pay? Housing policy, practice and pitfalls: running Refugee Housing projects
2. PREVENTING BLOCKAGES IN ACCOMMODATION SCHEMES Will Sutcliffe, BEACON Hosting, Bradford
Who should you choose to accommodate, when and how? How do you move people on?
A facilitated interactive knowledge and expertise sharing session
3. GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT Lucy Smith, Communications and Fundraising Officer, Boaz Trust, Manchester
How can you raise awareness of destitution and generate support and sustainability for your project?
4. ADVOCATING WITHIN THE ASYLUM PROCESS Judy Midgeley, Mc.Kenzie’s Friends, Bradford
How can we get alongside our clients to make a difference? Being a friend at court and interceding with UKBA
It looks set to be a great event so please do sign up if you’re already working with destitute asylum seekers or you’re planning to start a project in the near future! Huge thanks to our partners Assist in Sheffield for organising the day itself.
If you’ve got any questions please contact Dave, or phone 0161 2021056.
