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 a weekly basis we give them a food parcel and other essentials such as toiletries for as long as they remain destitute. Due to the Coronavirus crisis we have had to close our Drop-in facility from 18th March. On that day we were able to issue the normal items plus £10 supermarket vouchers for them to use over each of the following 4 weeks. The problem for our clients is that the £10 voucher is much less than the value of our normal food parcel and the reports we are getting are that because of rising prices, that amount is not nearly enough to meet essential weekly needs. The challenge for us is that the food parcels we supply are largely made up of donated goods. Donations of goods are on hold during the closure of Victoria Hall. Having to support our destitute clients purely with vouchers during this crisis presents a big financial demand.
On 22nd April, our clients have been advised to come back to Victoria Hall to collect more vouchers. We will have key volunteers and our Caseworker there to greet them (two meters apart, of course) and to respond to their needs. On that date we will give them a £20 supermarket voucher per week for the following four weeks and the situation may continue beyond this date. We do not have enough ready funds to be able do this without dipping into our reserves. This is why we are asking for your help.
If you are able and willing to start supporting one of our destitute clients during this exceptionally difficult period and for as many weeks/months as you choose to provide for, then please:
- Download and complete the Standing Order form >> Adobe PDF version | Microsoft Word version
- set up the Standing Order up with your own bank; then
- send us a copy of your completed form to Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or post it to: Destitution Project, Victoria Hall, Knowsley Street, Bolton, BL1 2AS.
In addition, if you are a regular tax-payer then you could consider offering us Gift Aid (Adobe PDF version | Microsoft Word version ) at no extra cost to yourself, which would increase your contribution by a further 25%; a form is provided here for you to complete for that purpose and then email or post it to the address given in 3) above.
If for some reason you cannot help on this occasion then please pass this message and the attachments on to someone you know who might be able to help. In any event thank you for reading this and keeping us in your thoughts at this difficult time.
Paul Martin - Chairman of the Trustees
