The SVP Community Support Project in Byker is also the current home to the Diocese’s Justice and Peace Refugee Project. The Tyneside area remains a major dispersal area for the Home Office and the project, which has been in existence for over 23 years, provides essential support to refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom remain without the right to work and receive minimal assistance from the Home Office. The asylum process is complex and leaves many in limbo for several years. For many, this has resulted in a growing reliance on the services offered by the Refugee Project and St Vincent’s.
At the recent Justice and Peace AGM, Azad Hasan (Project Co-ordinator) shared an update on the project. There were over 3,500 client visits during the 100 drop-in sessions that ran throughout 2024. This included over 450 new registrations. 452 clients were supported with SVP provided clothing and other household items. 14,123 food bags and 327 supermarket vouchers were also distributed during this time to destitute clients and the care of an estimated 170 babies was supported with formula milk and nappies.
The impact of the project’s work is significant. Whilst addressing immediate needs such as poverty and isolation, the SVP centre has also allowed the creation of welcoming spaces, where clients are able to access refreshments and find a sense of community. Even once a positive decision is received on an asylum application, the project continues to play a crucial role in helping people with their new life in the UK and the first steps toward a fresh start.
As always, volunteers are the backbone of such projects. They take on roles such as the receiving and processing of donated items and the collecting of fresh food and surplus items from supermarkets, as well as fulfilling a variety of roles when the project opens its doors to refugees and asylum seekers every Wednesday and Friday.
