Paul Barnes, our DP Drop in Coordinator and Ahmed Mohamed one of our volunteers, represented our Project. DP was allowed a limited amount of space but made the most of it when setting up the day before. Apart from a display of photographs and a copy of our Drop in Welcome sign, we provided copies of our most recent Newsletter and copies of our brochure enclosed within was a list of food items we require to be donated.

During the 45 minutes when the Royal couple circulated individually, Paul had the opportunity to speak with Camilla and she showed great interest in the work we do offering a welcome and support to asylum seekers and refugees. Paul explained the higher proportion of asylum seekers that are sent here by the Home Office relative to the rest of the North West.

Because of sharing of table space, Ahmed was positioned in another part of the room but was quite close to King Charles during his walk around.

Apart from the privilege of being present for this historic event for Bolton it gave Ahmed and Paul the opportunity to network with other exhibitors and share the DP literature.

Paul Barnes, DP Drop in Coordinator

Royal Visit

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!

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