Our first UK Dignity Centre supports people seeking asylum on the south coast, primarily the conurbation of Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole.
Staffed by a team of welcoming and friendly volunteers, the Centre offers a growing range of activities, from English classes and music sessions, to sewing and tailoring workshops, book clubs, and more. In addition, people seeking asylum can receive administrative support to help them navigate and access essential services; we also offer seasonal, weather-appropriate clothing, distributed in a way that models a normal shopping experience. The Centre has an open-door policy and is a community space where we can listen to the evolving needs of the people we serve and respond appropriately.
As with all our Dignity Centres, our location in the heart of Bournemouth also provides an opportunity for local residents to get involved and serves as a space that brings people together and helps build strong relationships in and across communities.
The background & need
At the moment in the UK, we hear dangerously racist rhetoric about “migrants” from the highest levels of government almost every day. This filters through to every level of society, from access to basic services to xenophobic media reports that influence public sentiment. The deliberately created ‘hostile environment’ has been exacerbated by the UK’s newly passed Nationality and Borders Bill, which, according to the UN, further increases risks of discrimination and human rights violations.
Last year, 84,132 people applied for asylum in the UK. More than half travelled here by small boat, arriving on the south coast after a traumatic and perilous journey. While many of the towns and cities along the coast are served by a number of charities and community groups supporting refugees and asylum seekers, we have identified a gap in coverage in Bournemouth. While asylum seekers receive food and accommodation, most do not have suitable clothing.
Men make up the majority of asylum seekers in the UK for a number of reasons. In many countries, men are the main breadwinner and also expected to join the army—factors which make them more likely to be targeted in situations of political and social turmoil. According to Professor Nando Sigona, the chair of International Migration and Forced Displacement at the University of Birmingham, “the journey to Europe is dangerous and expensive, and raising enough money for all members to seek protection abroad is difficult, so often men are sent abroad first to secure an income to support the family and also a safer route to international protection via family reunion.”
While there is some support for people in the UK once they get refugee status, there is very little for asylum seekers, who must wait an average of one to three years for their asylum application decision, living in temporary accommodation that often compounds feelings of isolation and precarity, and are not permitted to work during that time.
How you can help
- Live locally? Apply to volunteer.
- Have good quality men’s clothing to donate? Contact us to arrange delivery.