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Vicariate for Caritas

Justice & Peace Refugee Project

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Welcome

The Justice and Peace Refugee Project offers a warm welcome and provides basic support for those seeking asylum and refuge in our community.

The Refugee Project has offered a caring heart, a listening ear and a helping hand to some of our region’s most vulnerable people for over twenty years. Based at St Vincent’s Centre in Newcastle, we continue this work through the generous contributions of food and finance that come from individuals, parishes, schools and other organisations including grant funders – and through the selfless efforts of a team of dedicated volunteers working quietly behind the scenes.

We live in a troubled world where people are having to flee from persecution and danger on a daily basis. Your support can help bring Christ’s healing love into some very difficult situations. Thank you.

"We cannot remain insensitive, our hearts deadened, before the misery of so many innocent people. We must not fail to weep. We must not fail to respond."

Pope Francis

What We Do

Established in 2001, the Justice and Peace Refugee Project now operates out of the St Vincent’s Centre, New Bridge Street, Newcastle NE1 2TQ. We provide for some of the most basic needs of those seeking asylum and refuge and living in destitution in our local area.

We are pleased to operate out of the same premises as the SVP as this allows us to work closely in partnership with them to benefit the clients of both organisations.

The centre is currently open to clients on Wednesdays and Fridays between 11.00am and 2.00pm. During these times we offer bags of food items and toiletries as well as clothing and footwear. The vast majority of the items we provide are generously donated by parishes, schools and individuals and delivered to the project for distribution.

Callers to the Centre are provided with a warm welcome, a hot drink and free Wi-Fi. We also offer classes to help our clients develop a basic grasp of English.

We also try to respond to individual requests from clients – whether this is for a large suitcase or a pushchair or for information or perhaps signposting them to other organisations who can assist. Increasingly, we find ourselves providing comfort and reassurance to those who arrive feeling very fragile, overwhelmed and struggling with their mental health.

Our clients are from all parts of the globe. The focus changes often depending upon world events and resettlement arrangements. At present the main countries of origin of the people we are serving include Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Kuwait, El Salvador, Palestine and Syria. There are over 100 countries across 4 continents represented on our list of current and previous clients.

A printable leaflet giving information about the work of the project is available here to download. It is designed as a double-sided trifold leaflet to be printed in landscape format.

"Thank you very much for your kindness. I will never forget your love."

A Person We Serve

Want to know more? View our leaflet here.

Download now

How You Can Help

We are hugely grateful to those who continue to support this work with food, clothing and financial contributions. You are making a positive difference to the lives of hundreds of people as a result.

Food, Toiletries and Clothing

We rely heavily on parishes, schools and individuals for regular donations of the items that make up the bags of food and the toiletries, clothing, shoes and other items provided to those who need them. The list of items we are currently collecting is available here. We are delighted to receive donations of these items on Mondays between 10.30am and 1.30pm, unless an alternative prior arrangement has been made.

Financial Contributions

We very much welcome financial contributions too. The project bank account is: DHN, Justice and Peace Refugee Project sort code 40–34–18, account number 52854058. Alternatively, cheques made payable to DHN, Justice and Peace Refugee Project can be sent to Refugee Project Co-ordinator, St Vincent’s Support Centre, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2TQ. Gift-Aiding your donation if possible makes a big difference. There is a Gift-Aid Declaration form for a single donation here or for multiple donations here or you can request one from Marjory Knowles by email: marjory.knowles@gmail.com or tel: 07929 343418. Alternatively, you can donate online via the button at the top of the page.

Volunteering

Volunteers are very much the life-blood of the operation. They work across the project, whether packing bags, lugging trollies, undertaking admin work or dealing face-to-face with clients and other visitors. Volunteering usually takes place between 10.00am and 2.00pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The need for volunteers for the different tasks varies so please get in touch if you’re interested in finding out more.

Parish Contacts

Contact people in each parish are vital and allow us to communicate over food collections and provide updates and latest news. If your parish doesn’t currently have a link person or is not receiving updates we are keen to make contact. Please get in touch with the Project Co-ordinator.

Grant Funders

We are very grateful to the following organisations who have provided grants to the project: Sisters of Mercy Sunderland, Lottery Community Fund, Congregation of the Sacred Heart; The Mercers Company – The Charity of Sir Richard Whittington; Community Foundation – The Pea Green Boat Community First; Arnold Clark Community Fund; Garfield Weston Foundation; Albert Gubay Foundation.

"I want to thank Justice and Peace for supporting me. I can take employment now and look after myself. I do appreciate for the support. God bless you all."

A Person We Serve

The Difference It Makes

To view the latest monthly statistics about the project, please click on the button opposite. These statsitics give a picture of the number of people calling at the Centre, an idea of the food bags and clothing we have provided and other key information.

Of course what the numbers can’t ever do is to give an insight into the difference your generosity is making to the lives of those who receive it. Perhaps we can gain just an inkling of this with some words from those who use the project:

View our statistics

Download Here

Quotes From The People We Serve

“Thank you so much for helping us, especially the dresses, toys and books you gave my daughter. They made her very happy. I have many of my daughter’s needs met from you. Thank you so much for everything.”

“My name is Rashid and I was living in a lost world stressing where to find my next meal – then I got told about the Refugee project and called them – they were so supportive and helpful. They always make you feel comfortable and listen to your problems. Without that project I don’t know how my life would be”

“I am a materials and metallurgy engineer. I have been living in the UK for almost 5 years and recently moved to Newcastle. My friends and I are very pleased with your organisation for helping Refugees – we hope to make up for it one day – you are doing whatever you can to help us and this is very sacred. If it were not for the help of your organisation it would have been impossible to go to language classes and engineering courses. Thank you. God bless you.”

“The Refugee Project is playing a vital role supporting Asylum Seekers in the northeast. I with my 5 members of family were seeking asylum – the support by the home office is not enough to carry out basic needs. You treat all Asylum Seekers with extreme respect and the staff is very co-operative and caring.”

“I want to tell people about the support I have got from the Refugee Project. When I had no other support the project gave me supermarket vouchers and bags of food. It was so important to me. I want to say thank you for everything”

“I want to say it’s really amazing help for me and for all people who don’t have nothing. I appreciate for keeping helping me. Thank you so much for everything to help me”

“Thank you for being there for me when it was and is hard time for me. I appreciate the help that the project is providing for me - it means a lot”

Refugee Project News

01 December 2023

Justice & Peace Refugee Project Update (December 2023)

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28 November 2023

Advent Appeal for the Justice and Peace Refugee Project

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01 November 2023

Justice & Peace Refugee Project Update (November 2023)

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View all News

People

The Refugee Project is overseen by the Justice and Peace Co-ordinating Council which sits within the Vicariate for Caritas in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. A Steering Group provides on-going support and direction to the project and takes responsibility for its development and sustainability. We have two paid members of staff – made possible by grant funding provided specifically for this purpose. We currently have almost 40 dedicated volunteers who are the lifeblood of the project.

Project Staff

Azad Hasan, Project Co-ordinator

Tel: 07407 091184

Email: azad.hasan@diocesehn.org.uk

Steering Group Members

David Archibald, Phil Earnshaw, John Kilgour, Marjory Knowles (Treasurer), Fr Adrian Tuckwell and Nicola Vaughan.

Contact Us

For enquiries or further information about the Newcastle-based Refugee Project, please contact us tel: 07407 091184.

Address and Directions

Justice and Peace Refugee Project
St Vincent’s Centre
New Bridge Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 2TQ

St Vincent’s Centre is on New Bridge Street. Heading out of the City Centre towards Byker, it is on the right at the traffic lights before the junction at Stoddart Street and Crawhall Road. The centre, with its clear blue signage, is next door to St. Dominic’s Catholic Church and opposite the Tanners Arms pub.

Free parking can be found on Stoddard Street, Crawhall Road (B1600) and Coquet Street. Meter parking can be found on Howard Street and on Gibson Street.

On foot from Newcastle City Centre it takes around 10 minutes. The nearest metro station is Manors, about a 5 minute walk. A number of buses stop right outside of St Vincent’s (New Bridge Street – Blackfriars).

Refugees & Asylum Seekers Project Stockton (RASPS)

For information about the Stockton-based Refugee Project, please contact:

Rachel Wing

Tel: 01642 883 369