Bring some cheer at Christmas
MAIDENHEAD: A Christmas stocking appeal is underway to support asylum seekers who are taking refuge in the area.
The Holiday Inn hotel, in Manor Lane, is currently being used by the Home Office to accommodate people while their claims to take sanctuary in the UK are processed.
Asylum seekers who arrive in the town often come with few possessions and receive just £8 per week to cover clothing and transport costs.
A team of volunteers from the charity Care 4 Calais is now appealing for residents to donate much-needed supplies including deodorant, hair conditioner, Christmas socks, packs of adult underwear and nail clippers ahead of the festive season.
Sam Jonkers, regional lead for the Care 4 Calais team in the Thames Valley said: “This is the first time Maidenhead has hosted refugees in this kind of quantity and the community has been incredible.
“The community in Maidenhead has been so keen to understand the system, very sympathetic to the plight of these people and really welcoming.”
The Holiday Inn has been used as a base for asylum seekers since April.
The Government says claims should be processed within six months but a backlog in cases has left many people waiting longer to find out if they can stay in the UK.
The Care 4 Calais team has planned Christmas parties for young asylum seekers staying at the hotel.
But help is needed to support the older people at the venue who are often thousands of miles away from their loved ones.
Anyone who is able to donate supplies should email reading@ care4calais.org for further information .