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.
On 26th August we held a minute’s silence for Abdulfatah Hamdallah, the young man from Sudan who drowned in the the English Channel trying to claim asylum.
Paul the Drop in coordinator said a few words on behalf of the DP team, then Suleman, one of our volunteers who is also from Sudan spoke the following prayer:
Each year, Bolton Community and Voluntary Services (Bolton CVS) celebrates Volunteers Week which takes place from 1st - 7th June.
This year, we feel it is more important than ever to recognise the vital role volunteers have played during the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, our theme is ‘Volunteering matters…time to say thanks’.
Goal Click tells stories about football around the world, using photography. In the lead-up to World Refugee Day, Goal Click and UNHCR sent disposable cameras to refugees and asylum seekers around the world to document their personal tales.
This is Bahram Mia. "I was born in Peshawar, Pakistan, the son of Afghan refugees as a result of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
It's a very special day for all of us at the Destitution Project (DP) and we get to share some very exciting news with you.
Today, June 2nd, is the date when the Queen’s Awards are announced as a part of her coronation anniversary. This year the Destitution Project has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service!
As you may be aware, we had to close our Drop-in on March 18th due to the COVID-19 crisis. At that point we gave out four £10 supermarket vouchers and a few food parcels to each of our 32 destitute service users.
Since then we have been busy providing continuous casework support thanks to our wonderful DP Casework Team.
*kindly reprinted from the Bolton News >
A grandad has walked 167 miles over 31 days to raise money for the Bolton Destitution Project.
The charity usually runs a drop-in centre at Victoria Hall on Wednesdays to hand out food parcels to asylum seekers who have no recourse to public funds. However, since lockdown began, they have had to give out supermarket vouchers to those in need as safe alternative.
Dear Friends, As you may be aware, the Destitution Project provides casework services and a Drop-in Centre for Asylum Seekers and Refugees, known collectively as our service users.
The Drop-In takes place on Wednesdays at the Victoria Hall in Bolton.
Some of our service users are classified as destitute because they have No Recourse to Public Funding (NRPF).
On Wednesday March 18th we saw the temporary closure of our regular Wednesday Drop-In where an average of 135 Asylum Seekers and Refugees come in per week.
Due to the onset of the Coronavirus and guided by local and national guidelines, a decision was made to suspend our Drop-In provision at the Victoria Hall. This decision was not taken lightly but was inevitable given the circumstances we all find ourselves in.
At the end of February, we were delighted to welcome some members of Kings’ Church to our Wednesday Drop-in. Not only did they want to have a tour round but they had brought a massive (in both senses of the word!) cheque with them for DP!
The fabulous amount of £2,250 was collected by the church just before Christmas when Pam and Kath from our Food Room (Food Bank) went to speak at their evening service.
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.
