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A word from one of our oldest clients

Nigel Biggs — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:20:22 +0000

Boaz Trust Director, Dave Smith, met an asylum seeker for the first time in 1999 whilst working for the Mustard Tree, a homelessness resource centre in Manchester. He had no idea what an asylum seeker was, or why they came here, but he was forced to get to grips with the issues fast! By 2003 60% of the Mustard Tree’s clients were asylum seekers and refugees. Dave recognised the need for a charity focusing on the massive problem of destitution amongst asylum seekers in Greater Manchester, and left to set up the Boaz Trust in 2004.

One of the Boaz Trust’s first clients was a lovely lady from Ethiopia. She tells her story here:

“I came to the UK in 2001 because I was involved in politics and had to flee. The Home Office refused me asylum in 2002. Before I came to Boaz I was spending my time everywhere, sometimes I would sleep at the bus station. I was hungry and suffering for a long time before I came to Boaz. They gave me somewhere to live in 2004. Now I have a house to live in, I have food, I have clothes. I can open my house and have friends round and relax. Now I am safe. I am very happy. I have been in a Boaz house for 6 years. I hope to get leave to remain in the UK soon. I want to work to support myself. I would like a job looking after old people or children. Boaz has shown such kindness, they have saved my life, they have saved us from suffering.”

Please keep this lady in your thoughts and prayers. She is one of the thousands of unresolved legacy cases the Home Office have promised to deal with by 2011. Pray that she receives leave to remain in the UK soon.

You can read more about how Boaz began here.

Painting parties!

Nigel Biggs — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:18:50 +0000

We are currently undergoing some re-decoration in our houses to ensure that they are comfortable places for our asylum seeking friends to live, and we need your help…

Could you organise a group of people to do some painting in one of our houses during September or October? We would like one person in the group to oversee the work and ensure that it is done well. This would be ideal for a church home group or a well-supervised older youth group.

Please get in touch with Ros on 0161 202 1056 or admin@boaztrust.org.uk if you are interested.

The Letter

Nigel Biggs — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:28:01 +0000

We have had the joy of seeing many of our clients receive Leave to Remain in the UK recently as the government have begun to deal with their huge backlog of unresolved legacy cases. After years of destitution, these men and women have finally been given the chance to build a life for themselves in the UK. Boaz Trust Director, Dave Smith, was inspired to write a poem about this life transforming decision:

Today the letter came.

Today you came in to the office,

with the letter,

smiling,

no longer the same.

I have seen you smile before:

not often, in the last six years of waiting,

and always wistfully,

always tinged with sadness,

always hiding the hurt beneath.

But today

because of the letter

your smile was wide,

your hug intense

your brow unfurrowed,

your frown unfurled,

your worry-lines ironed out,

you eyes alive with light -

all because of the letter.

If only they understood

what the letter means to you,

and thousands like you.

If only they understood

why you were willing to suspend your life

indefinitely

until the letter came.

I wish I could frame your smile,

bottle your new, light heart,

capture in print your unburdened soul,

and send them a copy.

Maybe then they would understand

that you are not, and never were

a number to be counted

a statistic to be quoted

an inconvenience to be ignored,

but a living being

a daughter

a mother

a sister

a friend

and most of all,

a child of God.

And today,

as you smiled your freedom smile

I could see, almost for the first time

the image of your creator

that the letter had

at last

released.

Boaz in the press

Nigel Biggs — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:53:01 +0000

The Boaz Trust was featured in the Guardian Newspaper last week. It is a fantastic article about Hannah Atkins, one of our generous hosts who offers her spare room to a destitute asylum seeker. Check it out here.

One of the Boaz Trust’s aims is to raise awareness of the problem of destitution which includes getting accurate representations of asylum seekers in the press. This is just one of several great articles about asylum seekers in the Guardian recently (no we’re not getting paid to say this!) but unfortunately, such accurate coverage is rare. All too often asylum seekers are lumped together with economic migrants and illegal immigrants, and blamed for all the countries woes. And sadly, the comments after these articles show that many still do not understand and there can be a real prejudice and hatred towards those seeking sanctuary in the UK.

Statements about all the world’s asylum seekers coming to the UK, flooding the country, taking all our jobs and council houses abound. But in fact the UK is home to less than 2% of the world’s refugees. About 80% of the world’s refugees are living in developing countries, and Europe looks after just 14%. Most immigrants into the UK are not asylum seekers. Out of those who do claim asylum, two thirds are refused sanctuary and given two weeks to leave their accommodation (which was paid for by the Home Office and not the council!) and left destitute, unable to take our jobs, live in our council houses or claim our benefits.

We hope that articles such as this will help to raise our profile and inspire many more people to host asylum seekers in their own homes. If you live in Greater Manchester and have a spare room, why not consider becoming a Boaz host and offering your spare room for a few days, weeks or even months. Our scheme is flexible, according to what you can offer. Get in touch to find out more.

Job vacancies

Nigel Biggs — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:53:29 +0000

The Boaz Trust wishes to recruit a full-time service manager, who will manage the day to day operations of the Trust, and a part-time fundraising and communications officer. Please see the relevant job descriptions and person specifications below.

Service manager job description

Service manager person spec

Communications and fundraising officer job description

Funding and communications officer person spec

If you would like to apply for either job, please fill in the application form below and return to the Boaz office. Closing date Friday 9th July 2010.

Boaz Trust application form - pdf

Boaz Trust application form - word document

If you have any questions or concerns please give us a call on 0161 202 1056.

Boaz and the Arts

Nigel Biggs — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:01:00 +0000

After our successful Santuary Art Exhibition last year, we are pleased to announce that Boaz is partnering with No Nonsense Theatre Company for Refugee Week 2010. No Nonsense have been working with some of the women cared for by the Boaz Trust to produce an art exhibition which will run alongside their performances of Ruth. Ruth is a fantastic production of the biblical story using mime, puppetry and dance. It is of course the story from which the Boaz Trust gets its name – Boaz was a guy who treated Ruth, a foreigner, with love and respect.

The exhibition, entitled ‘Different Pasts – Shared Futures’, will be displayed inside Manchester Cathedral from 14th to 27th June, opening times Mon-Fri 8.30am-7pm, Sat 8.30am-5pm, Sun 8.30am-7.30pm.

Performances of Ruth on will take place on Thursday 17th June 11.30am, Friday 18th June 11.30am and 7pm, and Saturday 19th June 7pm. The performance on the evening of 19th June will be a Gala Night with a chance to sample some Ethiopian cuisine and to meet the women involved in the exhibition. Tickets are available from the Cathedral box office on 0161 833 2220. For further information regarding the performance please call 07753 586 584.

Number crunching!

Nigel Biggs — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:59:32 +0000

Recently we have been doing a bit of number crunching to generate some stats for our annual report, and the results have been encouraging.

From April 2009 to March 2010 we had 230 referrals, with most of the asylum seekers coming from Afghanistan, DR Congo, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Zimbabwe. 43% of those referred were street homeless, and 27% were sofa-surfing between friends who would take pity on them.

The Boaz Trust was able to provide safe longer term accommodation in our houses to 56 people. We also offered shorter term placements with local host families to a further 40 people. Plus 59 men benefited from our winter night shelter.

We gave out 971 food parcels to our residents, and refunded 1338 bus fares, allowing our clients to access healthcare and solicitors and to attend our English and sewing classes. 19 residents from our houses and hosts were able to get Home Office support again as they moved on with their cases, and 10 current and former clients received leave to remain in the UK!

Thank you for all your support which enables us to make a real difference in the lives of destitute asylum seekers. This afternoon I asked Yezna, one of our hosted* clients, what Boaz has done for her and this is what she said:

“Boaz has helped me a lot. They have given me a home with a family and English classes and I am really happy. They helped me with everything.”

*We would love to offer this opportunity to more asylum seekers like Yezna but our space is limited. If you are in Greater Manchester and could offer a spare room to a destitute asylum seeker for a few days, weeks or months please do get in touch on 0161 202 1056 or office@boaztrust.org.uk to find out more.

Help! There’s an asylum seeker in my church.

Nigel Biggs — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:19:00 +0000

”Help! There’s an asylum seeker in my church”

A day conference exploring how you and your church can support asylum seekers and refugees in your community.

Saturday 26th June, 10am-4pm, Brunswick Parish Church, Manchester

This day conference will draw upon a range of experience to explore different ways of engaging with and supporting refugees and asylum seekers across the North West. Organised in conjunction with refugee communities the event will increase your understanding of the experiences faced by asylum seekers in your area and help inform, equip and inspire you with practical ways to get involved. This conference is organised by the Boaz Trust, EQUIP, CAP and SPEAK. The flyer and booking form are available to download here:

Help! Conference Flyer

Help! Conference Booking Form

Could you help Hanes reach his target?

Nigel Biggs — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:49:53 +0000

On 16th May 2010, Hanes will be running the Great Manchester Run on behalf of the Boaz Trust. Hanes is an asylum seeker and was supported by Boaz for several years. Now he wants to give something back. He aims to raise £1000 to help us to continue our life changing work. Please sponsor him at www.justgiving.com/Hanes

Check out this short video of Hanes or read his story below.

Hanes is an asylum seeker from Ethiopia. He was a political activist in his home country. His father was imprisoned and killed by the ruling party, and two years later Hanes was detained and tortured by the police because of his campaigning. Fearing for his life Hanes fled, seeking asylum in the UK in 2002.

However, like two thirds of asylum seekers, Hanes was refused sanctuary. He was told to go home but was not deported. Instead He was left destitute with no right to work or to claim benefits. He was forced to sleep on the streets and struggled to survive.

Hanes was referred to the Boaz Trust, who gave him a safe place to live along with food, clothing, toiletries and other support.

Last year Hanes was detained by the Home Office who tried to deport him. But his country refused to have him back and he was released again two months later. Still they refused support and Hanes turned to the Boaz Trust once again.

Hanes says “I hope to receive leave to remain in the UK soon so that I can work to support myself and build a life here. I have only survived over the last few years because of the work of the Boaz Trust, and I am so grateful for all they have done for me and many other asylum seekers in Greater Manchester. On 16th May 2010 I will do the Great Manchester Run to raise money for Boaz. Please sponsor me so that they can continue their life-changing work.”

www.justgiving.com/Hanes

Boaz is on the move!

Nigel Biggs — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:26:35 +0000

The Boaz Trust is moving offices. From 6th April 2010 our address will be:

The Boaz Trust
1st Floor
110 Oldham Road
Ancoats
Manchester
M4 6AG

Our phone number and email address will remain the same.