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Your June Update from Boaz
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Today is World Refugee Day! Falling each year on the 20th June, it is a day celebrating the courage of people who have been forced to flee their homes to seek safety. It was held for the first time on 20th June 2001 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. One of the core principles of the Refugee Convention is non-refoulement - the idea that people seeking safety should not be returned to a country where they could face threats to their life or freedom. It is this part of the convention that has been so flagrantly flouted by our current government in the Rwanda scheme and Safety of Rwanda Act. Yet, there are reasons to be hopeful despite this hostility - recently we were so relieved to hear that the person we support who had been detained for Rwanda has now been released. It was also a joy to see the wider Boaz community come together for Family Night on Monday this week, right at the start of Refugee Week. (Scroll down for more photos and some details of what happened on the night!) As we reflect on the theme of ‘Our Home’ for Refugee Week 2024, we’d love to be able to do more to end destitution among people seeking safety. Our housing is a lifeline that helps people recover from trauma and gives them the stable foundation they need to begin to rebuild their lives. This World Refugee Day, could you take action so that someone who has sought safety in the UK feels welcomed, safe and at home here? £30 could provide a new set of bedding and towels for the next person moving into a Boaz house. If you’re in a position to do so, you can give a gift today via the button below.
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20th Anniversary | We're still here |
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| We are 20 and we're still here. In many ways, we wish we weren't - we wish we could have seen an end to asylum destitution before now. Yet at the same time, we are proud of the work that has been done and thankful for the lives that have been impacted over the past 20 years through Boaz housing and support. On the 6th June 2004, our founder, Dave Smith, and a group of friends gathered together in what would be our first ever trustee meeting. Almost a year on from that meeting, the Boaz Trust became a registered charity in July 2005. Over the past 20 years, our accommodation provision has included a hosting scheme, emergency winter night shelters, and our shared houses - both for people who have been refused and people with refugee status. Boaz accommodation and support have always gone hand in hand, with each person offered holistic, person-centred and trauma-informed support from a dedicated support worker. While accommodation and support are at the heart of what we do at Boaz, so too is our desire to challenge and change the unjust systems that cause people to experience destitution in the first place. As our advocacy work has developed, we’ve engaged more in campaigning, media work, research and new partnerships with key decision-makers and gatekeepers. The ever-changing nature of the policy environment in which we operate has meant that there have constantly been fresh injustices or new legislation that we have felt compelled to speak out against. This has also led us into new activities and projects as we’ve responded practically.
For example, the sharp rise in homelessness among newly granted refugees from autumn 2023 onwards has led to the development of our new Refugee Homelessness Prevention Project, delivered in partnership with GMCA (Greater Manchester Combined Authority), MDF (Migrant Destitution Fund) and Refugee Action. The slow violence inflicted on people because of their immigration status has led to our floating support work developing into the Restricted Eligibility Support Service, which is delivered in partnership with the Booth Centre and GMIAU (Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit). As we mark our anniversary year over the course of the next 12 months, keep an eye out for ways you can get involved. Looking to the future, we'd love for you to be part of seeing our vision become more of a reality so that people who seek safety in the UK are welcomed here and free to live life in all its fullness.
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At the start of Refugee Week, on Monday evening it was a joy to gather for Family Night. The theme for the night was food and what it means to us. The variety and quantity of food that was brought to share did not disappoint! As people chatted and ate around tables, they were invited to think about a meal or dish that was significant to them. As we moved into the second part of the evening, we were treated to performances from the talented Rhema Youth Ministry Choir, who performed songs in Amharic, Tigrinya and English throughout the night. We also heard from Ros, the Chief Exec of Boaz, who emphasised the theme of Refugee Week 2024 (‘Our Home’) and spoke to us about Boaz’s 20th anniversary. To dive deeper into the past 20 years, Ros interviewed our founder, Dave Smith, asking him about some of the biggest joys and challenges of the last two decades. As a bonus question, Dave revealed his favourite food to be injera because of the memories associated with the hospitality of people he supported making and sharing it with him in the early days of Boaz. Following Dave’s interview, it was such a blessing to hear Nyasha* share her story. She described the impact that Boaz had on her life before she was granted leave to remain after 10 years of waiting. She spoke to us of God’s restorative power in her life after this point as he gave back to her all that had been lost in that period of limbo. Determined to find work as a chef, but without any CV or experience, Nyasha convinced an employer to take a chance on her and he did not regret it. Nyasha’s culinary talent and God’s provision saw her go on to work alongside James Martin and Marco Pierre White. This sense of hope was consolidated as we heard from Ada*, someone previously supported by Boaz who had very recently received her leave to remain. Similarly, the final song performed by the choir was titled: ‘My tomorrow will be brighter than my today.’ The evening rounded off with a group photo (see the top of this email) as we stood in solidarity with the Together with Refugees ‘Fair begins here’ campaign to reject the current hostility and commit to taking action to win a fair new plan for people seeking safety in the UK.
*Names changed
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Leave a legacy
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As we look back over the past 20 years, we’ve seen the seeds that were planted by Dave Smith grow into an organisation that now supports hundreds of people seeking safety each year. Seeds are planted in hope of growth that we might not necessarily be around to see. Despite small beginnings, through the generosity of faithful supporters over many years, Boaz has been able to flourish, as well as weather the storms of the past 20 years. We hope for the day when Boaz is no longer needed, and people who seek safety in the UK are welcomed here and free to live life in all its fullness. But we’re not there yet. It is our hope that we can be here to support people for as long as we are needed. Leaving a legacy is one of the most powerful ways to support the work Boaz does with people who have been forced into destitution by a system that has been broken for years. It’s an opportunity to ensure that the housing and support we provide is still there to help many more people who will need it in years to come.
After you’ve remembered your family and loved ones in your will, if you are in a position to also remember Boaz, we would be so grateful. Together, we can build a future characterised by hospitality instead of hostility. If you’d like to find out more about leaving a legacy, just click/tap the button below.
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| Financial Wellbeing Sessions |
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| During June, our Financial Wellbeing sessions for people with refugee status have begun to pick up pace. The sessions are organised by Boaz support workers and the training is delivered by The Money Charity. Earlier in June, we had a session focused on budgeting and saving, equipping the participants with practical tools to keep track of their income and expenditure. More recently, we held a session on debit and credit, which explored where we get credit, what a credit score is and how to grow your credit score (for example, by opening a bank account, having a contact SIM, getting a credit card and registering to vote). The session also covered debt, looking at how to prioritise expenses, checking interest when taking out a loan and raising awareness of loan sharks. These sessions have been well-attended by people we support, including those on the waiting list for our refugee housing. The equipping and empowering approach of these sessions gives people the knowledge and skills they need to manage their money as well as possible in the midst of a cost of living crisis. |
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| Volunteers needed next week! |
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We need your help! If you're local to Manchester and have a couple of hours to spare next Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, we'd love to hear from you.
Our Housing Officer, Phil, is looking for volunteers from 10.30am-3pm on Monday 24th June and from 9.30am-3pm on Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th.
Volunteers will be involved in heavy lifting and moving furniture, as well as clearing rubbish. If you are able to help in any way, we'd be so grateful. Just get in touch with Phil on philbarker@boaztrust.org.uk and let him know which day/slot you can do.
Thank you!
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Thank you for reading our newsletter and for being part of our community of friends and supporters. If you've been encouraged by our latest update, and would like to support our work financially, you can make a one off gift or set up regular giving here.
If you have any questions about giving to Boaz, or would like to chat to us about how you can support us in other ways, please contact us on 0161 202 1056, or email Emma on funding@boaztrust.org.uk.
Our mailing address is:
The Boaz Trust|Kath Locke Centre|123 Moss Lane East | Manchester | M15 5DD
Your personal data is important to us. If you have any questions about how and why we store your information, you can read our Privacy policy on our website. And if you have any questions, please do get in touch.
Thank you so much for standing with us as we work together to end destitution among people seeking sanctuary in the UK. We couldn't do this work without you.
The Boaz Trust is a Registered Charity in England and Wales no. 1110344
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Copyright © 2024 The Boaz Trust. All rights reserved.
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