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 Thursday 20th February, 2020, three members of the Destitution Project travelled to London to attend an lovely event held by the Charles Plater Trust.
The Trust has given £25,000 towards casework services at DP. This generous donation will help us to keep our wonderful Caseworker on board so that they and their team can deliver essential support for asylum seekers.
Photos appear courtesy of © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk
We had a lovely celebration with our many service users and staff to mark the end of another year at DP! A wonderful hot meal was provided by our friends at Bolton Mutual Aid, plus we has a buffet of snacks and treats brought in by our volunteers. Games and music added to the festive atmosphere.
We wish all our service users, staff and supporters a wonderful Christmas and all the best for 2020!
David O’Keeffe became a Trustee of THE DESTITUTION PROJECT (DP) in 2015. The Project had just become an independent charity, separate from BRASS (Befriending Asylum Seekers & Refugees).
In January that year, the project opened its doors at the Victoria Hall each Wednesday to asylum seekers and refugees. It had no money in its bank account.
Irina, from Destitution Project's reception team, is a lady with many talents! Some of you may already know about her fantastic cooking and baking skills.
Every now and again we get to taste some of Irina's lovely creations when she brings in a treat for us.
Irina took part in the Bolton Masterchef cook-off competition at the Bolton College. She shone bright like a star with her wonderful 'Salad Cake Fantasy' dish and has the award certificate to prove it!!
This is Tesfay. We met in the Calais Jungle in 2015. In the photo on the left he had just arrived to the camp and didn’t even have a jacket, let alone a tent. We gave him one and helped him set it up, then visited him regularly in the months that followed.
I will never forget the day he made it to England. He came inside a lorry with only the clothes on his back. We went to visit him in his asylum seeking accommodation in Bolton.
David O' Keeffe has been an integral part of the Destitution Project (DP) for many, many years.
On Wednesday October 9th, a celebration was held at the Victoria Hall to thank him for his many years of dedicated and enthusiastic service.
David has now retired as a 'proud' DP volunteer (as he describes himself), but he will continue as a Trustee until early 2020.
The Destitution Project was delighted last Wednesday to welcome the Head Teacher of St Michael’s C of E Primary School (Mrs Hart), two members of staff and their pupils who were delivering the Harvest gifts from their school.
A bonus for us was that they had sorted their tins so that we only had to put them on the correct shelves!
The Margaret Cary Foundation & Emmaus Partner With DP To Help Our Service Users Get Around - Thanks to the Margaret Carey Foundation, a new collaboration has been set up where refurbished bicycles are donated to the Destitution Project (DP).
The bikes have been restored by CHAINS (Change, Help and Advance in New Skills), which enables prisoners to take part in purposeful activity and encourages and promotes better job prospects upon release.
The Mayor arrived and following her tour of the rest of the building she visited the English class for the women, delaying her lunch,being led by Camilla assisted by Naimunah.
They all stood up when the Mayor came and she wanted to know where each one had come from. Some had photos taken with the Mayor and full applause at the end.
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.
