Who we are
An introduction to Boaz: what we do, our history, vision, mission and values.
What we do
Boaz Trust provides stable housing and person-centred support for people experiencing homelessness because of insecure, uncertain or recently changed immigration status (including people with refugee status, people refused asylum and people with no recourse to public funds). We do this through our shared houses across Greater Manchester, through the outreach support we deliver as part of the Restricted Eligibility Support Service (RESS) and most recently through our Refugee Homelessness Prevention Project (RHPP).
Alongside accommodation, we offer holistic, trauma informed support, ensuring people are able to meet their basic needs, navigate systems and access medical care and legal advice.
We also advocate for a fair and compassionate asylum system and to see destitution designed out of the Greater Manchester city-region. Our advocacy work aims to change systems locally, regionally and nationally so that people seeking safety experience a warmer welcome and are better able to rebuild their lives.
History
The Boaz Trust was founded by Dave Smith in 2004 (and officially registered as a charity in 2005), as an outworking of his Christian faith. The aim was to address the needs of the growing numbers of people facing destitution in Greater Manchester whose asylum cases had been refused and who had nowhere to turn for help.
Since our founding, our accommodation provision has included shared houses, emergency winter night shelters for men and women, and a hosting scheme. Over the years, the ways we’ve provided support has shifted and changed according to the need, but our desire to serve people seeking safety has remained constant.
Vision and mission
Our Vision is that people who seek safety in the UK are welcomed here and are free to live life in all its fullness.
Our Mission is:
- to provide accommodation and support for people seeking sanctuary in Greater Manchester and the surrounding areas.
- to use what we learn through our work to challenge and change the unjust systems that cause destitution, both locally and nationally.
Our Organisational Values
These 6 values inform how we work as an organisation:
- Christ-centred: rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, we seek to serve those who society sees as the least, the last and the lost.
- Committed to excellence: we strive for professional excellence with integrity in all our working practices.
- Empowering others: we want to see the people we work with, volunteers, staff and supporters, equipped to discover meaning and purpose in their lives.
- Restless for justice: we shine a light on injustice, especially where people seeking sanctuary are treated unfairly and we will fight to see change happen.
- Servant-hearted: we adopt an attitude of service within the organisation and beyond, putting the needs of others before our own.
- Generous: we extend a welcome to all those we meet, sharing hospitality, kindness and love, and treating everyone with dignity, regardless of their background.
Where does the name come from?
The charity’s name is taken from the book of Ruth, in the Bible. A man called Boaz welcomes Ruth, who is from another nation, and shows her kindness. Boaz Trust works to do the same – offering housing and support to people seeking safety in Greater Manchester.
Read more about our work
You can find our most recent trustees annual report and accounts on the Charity Commission website here. Alternatively, you can download a copy of our latest Supporter Review magazine below. This publication includes updates, news and stories from the past financial year. We hope that it offers some helpful and inspiring insights into the work that we do, as well as providing you with ways you can get involved and take action.
