Asylum seekers group awarded £5,000 grant
LOUGHBOROUGH MP Nicky Morgan has congratulated a voluntary group after it was awarded £5,000 lottery funding for its project, set up to help and support asylum seekers from across the East Midlands.
Loughborough Town of Sanctuary, a group established to support asylum seekers by welcoming them outside the town-based East Midlands Immigration Reporting Centre, ensures that visitors are offered refreshments and signposts them to other support services in the towns and cities where they are living.
Volunteers offer hats, gloves and scarves to asylum seekers during cold winter months; whilst toys and games are provided for children during the school holidays.
Mrs Morgan told the Echo: “Many of those attending the town’s Immigration Reporting Centre are extremely vulnerable; many, particularly children, have seen things that no child should ever see.
“It is a credit to our town, and to the Town of Sanctuary project, that we seek to provide additional help and assistance to people as they seek to establish a better, safer life in our region.
“I’m absolutely delighted that the Big Lottery Fund have decided to support this important project.”
Trevor Holme, chair of the Loughborough Town of Sanctuary Project said: “We want people to feel positive about their visit to Loughborough and to feel that there are local people who want to offer a helping hand at a time of need.
“There are local groups knitting garments for us to hand out and many people who donate toys and games.
“We have partnerships with John Storer House, who provide the refreshments for us; Loughborough University; faith groups and other local voluntary groups.
“Loughborough Town of Sanctuary is generously supported by local people who give regular donations, attend money-raising events and do charity runs for us; but this grant, which Nicky encouraged us to apply for, will make a big difference to the support that we can offer vulnerable families over the coming months.”
Representatives of the Loughborough Town of Sanctuary Project highlight that each day up to 200 people travel from across the East Midlands to report at the Loughborough Immigration Reporting Centre. Many of those presenting at the centre are asylum seekers, most of whom are both stressed and anxious.