Borderlands Refugee Drop-in Centre
Bristol, UK
Borderlands is a small, community based, registered charity run almost entirely by volunteers. We run a Drop-in for refugees and asylum seekers. The Drop-in offers a range of free services including distributions of food, toiletries and clothing; a hot meal; English language classes; signposting; reading / translating letters or official documents; advice and support from other members and volunteers; befriending and socialising; board games and table tennis. Our work is not easy to fundraise for as public opinion is increasingly anti-immigration and many sections of the media fail to correctly present the plight of asylum seekers and refugees seeking safe sanctuary from regimes or situations where their lives and freedoms are under serious threat. Our aim is to support asylum seekers, refugees and people with immigration issues, especially those who have been trafficked into the UK, because they are a very impoverished, vulnerable, traumatised and marginalised group. They are forbidden by law to work. We promote social inclusion by offering practical help and relieving the needs of our members who are socially and economically excluded through empowering them to integrate into the local community and take control of their lives – this is a huge challenge given the problems that many of them face. Naturally our members want to live a valuable life and contribute to the community but they need help to achieve this which we are privileged to play a small part in them achieving for themselves.
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