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15
Sat, Aug

Bolton Destitution Project

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.

NEED HELP? Visit The DP DROP IN CENTRE >>

DONATIONS

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.

National Refugee Week celebration at DP

We had a special Drop-in where we celebrated National Refugee Week 2022 and our service users did us proud with many of them arriving in their very best clothing representing their various homelands.

Their outfits were quite breath-taking with their flamboyant styles and rich colours and there were some beautiful head coverings. Some volunteer team members also dressed up in national costume from Africa, Germany and the Netherlands and a Red Cross nurse also joined in the fun!

At 11.00 Paul Barnes, Drop-in Coordinator, led a Minute of Silence where we all remembered those Asylum Seekers and Refugees who have sadly died in the Covid pandemic. This was in keeping with a theme of Healing this year.

Next the entertainment began with four Year 10 boys from Thornleigh Salesian College who had previously set up their gear plus large speakers over the whole stage area, along with their teacher James. They performed for well over half an hour with their guitars and drums singing a selection of ‘Oasis’ songs among others. The two vocalists had amazing voices and the whole performance was very impressive especially considering their ages. The drummer is an asylum seeker from Nigeria and we were told the group were very keen to come and perform for us. We all showed our appreciation and they even found time to stay for a while and have a little lunch with us and a game of table tennis. We do hope they will be able to visit us again.

DP volunteer Irina was next to perform playing some elegant pieces on her keyboard wearing a lovely black dress. Then five African ladies sang and danced for us which was very energetic and with amazing voices. Finally five of the Kurdish service users danced for us in a most colourful way so that in the end lots of people began to dance around different areas of the room. This lovely atmosphere lasted through lunchtime and beyond.

This was a special occasion for us and a very happy expression of some of the different cultures and nationalities represented at DP.

Refugee Week 2022

Please Help Bolton DP

WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOLUNTEER WITH THE DESTITUTION PROJECT (DP)?

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!

Download The RefAID App

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.

Donate To Bolton Destitution Project