ASYLUM SEEKER SUPPORT
How we’re helping asylum seekers and refugees in York
York has a history of welcoming those who have had to flee their own countries.
We know that refugees and asylum seekers are close to many of your hearts, so we wanted the first Belfrey Love Your Neighbour focus to reflect this.
Supporting the ”Central Store”, a free clothing store for asylum seekers to come and choose their own clothes, is the main way we’ve been doing this. It was set up as a response to the arrival of the four hundred asylum seekers in a hotel in York who arrived in December 2022, plus of course those who have been in York longer.
The Social Action Fund (our Post Pandemic Fund) gave a £4000 start-up donation, and it’s a wonderful way for us to meet the needs of our neighbours in York.
This has now ended after a very successful six months with over thirty bags of clothes and shoes collected at The Belfrey, and over 600 people provided with around 4000 pieces of clothing.
Thank you so much for your help in donating both items of clothing, shoes, money , time and prayer.
if you’d like to know more about what is continuing to happen around refugees and asylum seekers in York, please go to the OneVoice refugee support page
Can you pray or give money?
The One Voice Refugee Support webpage has details of a crowdfunding campaign to buy new items such as underwear, and it also details prayer needs which are updated regularly.
If you’d like to know more about any of the above, please email the Love Your Neighbour Co-ordinator Claire Treherne on claire.treherne@belfrey.org
RAY is a brilliant organisation who have pioneered work with refugees & asylum seekers in York for many years. They work all year round with any refugee/asylum seeker, wherever they are from, and offer support in many different ways. We'd love to suggest that you consider supporting them for both their regular work and also specific work with Ukrainians which will need some financial resourcing.