Build a Better Future for Refugees in Halifax

Aim

To support people seeking sanctuary in Calderdale this winter by providing food, skills development & activities to improve well-being.

St. Augustine’s Centre is Calderdale’s specialist charity working with refugees and people seeking asylum. We provide essential support like food and legal advice to help individuals and families get back on their feet. As many of the people we support live on just £40 a week (or even less!), the cost-of-living crisis means we are needed more than ever. 

What we do  

St. Augustine’s is a community Centre which has been supporting people and responding to needs for over 50 years. In 2009 we became an independent charity welcoming all – regardless of faith, ethnicity or background. We are now supporting around 1,000 people every single month from 57 different countries. 

We are so much more than just a community centre, though! We offer expert advice on immigration and asylum support, and one-to-one support with welfare, housing, health and other essential services. We provide hot meals in our Welcome Café, English language classes, training, cultural, social and well-being activities, trips and volunteering opportunities. We also provide a befriending and integration service to help ensure people can lead a fulfilling life alongside local people.   

Evolving to Meet Needs 

Over the last year, the prolonged delay in asylum cases being heard has created a backlog of people trapped in temporary accommodation, whilst others are unable to work as they await a decision. The cost-of-living crisis has only added to need, with support payments for those fleeing war and persecution falling further behind rising inflation. Many people receive just £40 a week or less – it's simply not enough to cover basic needs.  

We help fill in the gaps, with a dignified Free Shop providing warm clothes, shoes and toiletries, a beauty and barber area, a Welcome Café serving hot meals twice a week, and a tech repair / provision service. But we also want to help people cope and become independent. We have an increasing range of activities tailor-made to provide skills to increase resilience and well-being within our community, and improve employability once people receive status.  

For instance, we hold regular activities like household maintenance, bike repair and tech repair to develop talents and help keep costs low. We’ve also been developing new Move-On workshops which teach financial independence and job application tips. We also provide free English classes and IELTS prep for university and college, plus ample opportunities to volunteer in an area that utilizes our Centre Members’ talents. Through our work, we are giving our Centre Members the tools and support they need to not only survive crisis but also feel more settled and financially capable. 

How will we use your donation? 

We plan to use the funds to continue, expand and develop our offer of support even further as we respond to increased needs. From immigration and health advice to nutritious food from our Welcome Café and everything in between, our provision is a lifeline for people seeking sanctuary from war and persecution in Calderdale.   

Photo by Gerard Liston

CASE STUDY M 

Consider our friend M – a single mother to three children (including a 10-year-old suffering from epilepsy) who arrived in Halifax seeking asylum. When we first met M, she was very confused and couldn't speak a single word of English. 

We were able to connect M with a Befriender through our Helping Hand scheme, as well as find activities like beauty and cooking that were important to her. In the space of four months, M made a transition from being unable to manage independently, to volunteering at the Centre in two different roles, building friendships, attending English classes and engaging with other activities. 

M said, “I was very depressed when I came here first. I spent all of the time with my children at home. I was alone and very nervous and anxious. But now I have friends, I am busy, […] I am independent and I am progressing. Thank you to St Augustine's who helped me out in my difficult times and helps me believing in myself.” 

By donating to our appeal, you will help people like M get a chance to rebuild their lives.  

Photo by Gerard Liston

This project successfully funded on 30th January 2023