Bolton DP Destitution Project
Seeking to provide a safe environment where Refugees and Asylum Seekers can find friendship, food and practical help.
Helping to create new futures for Bolton’s asylum seekers and refugees…
The Wednesday Drop-in is closed tomorrow (July 22nd 2026) for the team's annual holiday break.
The Drop-in reopened on Wednesday, July 29th at 10am.
Due to a severe shortage of storage space, at the moment DP is unable to accept donations of clothing and household goods.
For further information and updates on the situation please contact us at info@boltondp.org Please note this does not apply to food and toiletries. We are still accepting donations of toiletries and non-perishable food. The Food Team can advise what we are most in need of. We are very grateful for all your support and will advise when we are able to accept donations once more.
The Octagon Theatre's Refugee Week 2026 Community Exhibition took place at the Theatre Bolton on 15th June and was a collaboration between the Octagon Theatre's Womens' Group, the Bolton Central Library and Destitution Project (DP).
This community art and poetry event highlighted the wonderful artwork and poetry created by refugees and asylum seekers from across Bolton to celebrate their contributions.
Wednesday June 17th was a special one in the DP calendar as we celebrated Refugee Week 2026 at our Drop-in. From all accounts our wonderful team, service users and visitors enjoyed it!.
The theme this year was COURAGE. We had a range of art and other activities that our service users and team could honour the courage and determination that asylum seekers and refugees demonstrate every day.
Over the past few months, DP has had the pleasure of partnering with Nadeem of the Refugee Art Alliance to offer a 6-week Art workshop for our service users.
The sessions were held at the Wednesday Drop-in during the afternoon. Nadeem was assisted by his colleague Maleesa.
Our team was very much saddened by the news that former Drop-in Coordinator at DP, Paul Barnes, passed away after a short illness.
Paul first joined us in early 2018 as a volunteer. We then welcomed him as an employee in what was a new post of Drop-in Coordinator. He served diligently in this capacity from Sept 2019 to May 2023.
What better way to give you a window into our end of year Christmas party than to share that week's briefing written by several of our wonderful team of volunteers and staff. Enjoy!
Briefing for the DP Drop-in, Wednesday December 10th, 2025
It was indeed a very exciting Christmas Party Drop-in at DP. THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE TEAM FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND PREPARATIONS!
Wednesday, July 18th, was no ordinary day at our organisation. How could it be, given that it coincided with Refugee Week, a cause the organisation supports throughout the year? Yes, it was a special day — a different kind of day.
Fortunately, this was the third time I attended DP's Refugee Week celebrations, which this year was prepared in a unique way.
DP has added two new part-time posts to our team and both have been filled by candidates with lived experience as refugees in the UK.
Moutasim Abudigin is our new Drop-In Assistant, working each week to help the team keep the Drop-in services and space running smoothly. He was a Volunteer with us for just over a year and then started as a part-time employee in September 2024.
In February, Year 6 student and Head Girl, Bella, came to visit us with her Mum and Grandma.
In class at her school (she attends St John's Bromley Cross) she wrote a poem and painted a picture all about the plight faced by those seeking asylum and was keen to share it with the service users and team members at DP.
Recently we heard of the death of Sister Christine. She had been a committed supporter of the Destitution Project since its formation in January 2015.
Sister Christine was an exemplary example of what a DP volunteer should be like and was very interested in people and their activities. Her quiet, gentle presence was evident each Wednesday at the Drop-in.
To run its weekly Drop-In for asylum seekers and refugees and provide casework support, the Destitution Project relies heavily on the help and dedication of its volunteers.
Because we are a thriving organisation with much work to be done, we are looking for volunteers who are able to give us at least one day per week for a minimum of 6 months. If you are recently retired, part-time employed or otherwise able to give us this level of commitment, we would love to hear from you!
You can email us at: info@boltondp.org and send us a CV or details on your relevant experience and availability. We will then arrange for you to visit the Drop-In on a Wednesday so that you can have a guided tour and we can explain a bit more about what volunteering with us will involve.
Particular skills we are currently looking for are:
General admin skills and experience: You will need to be able to come in on different days (e.g. on Wednesdays and Fridays) when needed. We will work with you to find times that suit both you and the team.
IT and computer skills: we often need help on a Wednesdays (9.00am - 3.00pm) and sometimes on other occasions when needed.
DP Reception Team: you will need to be able to come in from 9.00am to 3.30 pm each Wednesday and help with the sign-in system, welcoming service users and visitors and managing access to the Drop-In.
Drop in Team: you will need to be able to come in from 9am- 3.00pm on Wednesdays. It may involve General Hall Duties including the setting up and putting away of furniture and games equipment or supporting in the Food or Clothes Room with managing stock and assisting our Service Users. You will need to be able to work well as part of a team.
English Teaching: to teach English at a basic or intermediate level in small groups on a Wednesday each week. No formal qualifications required but some background in English teaching/education may be helpful.
Thank you for considering volunteering with us!
A single point for refugees to find information and for NGOs to provide it. The Refugee Aid App mobile app shows migrants, refugees and aid workers where services are closest to them on a map with a very simple interface.
A web based content management and communication system allows official aid organizations to manage and update their services and to get their critical aid to where it is most urgently needed.
