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Spotlight: Misbah.
We recently said goodbye to Misbah as he started Liverpool John Moores University studying Mechatronics. He said ‘If it wasn’t for St Augustine's, I wouldn’t be going to university now. They helped me find a solicitor, get a GP, volunteer, make friends, and apply to Uni.’
At St. Augustine's, we believe every person should have the chance to be safe, happy and achieve their dreams, regardless of where they come from. Our services help provide opportunities to meet people, find confidence and start enjoying life in a new country. There's nothing we enjoy more than seeing our Centre Members find the success and happiness they deserve!
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Come work for us!
At St Augustine’s, 20% of one to one casework is about issues with housing and destitution. We are looking for someone to drive this work forward with us, working closely with Becky Hellewell and our wider Support and Immigration team.
Senior Caseworker (Housing) is a 22.5 hours / week role with some flexibility. It’s available for 6 months initially, and we are working hard to get the funding to make it permanent.
Deadline for applications is 15th October. Click here to learn more.
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Orange Hearts of Welcome:
We are coming together at the Orange Box Young People’s Centre and Project Challenge to celebrate people seeking sanctuary at an event on Tuesday 19th October and in support of the #TogetherWithRefugees ‘Orange Heart’ campaign.
We want to fill the Orange Box foyer with orange hearts containing messages of welcome. Click below to submit your message and we'll put it on an orange heart for you.
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Goodbye Hassan.
Last week we said goodbye to one of our Activities Managers, Hassan (right). He is an exceptional worker who always gave 110% for our Centre Members, and he will be dearly missed. We wish him all the best!
Arsalan (left) has joined us as Activities Co-ordinator, be sure to give him a warm welcome and hello if you see him around.
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What's on at the Centre.
We are organising more and more activities to suit the different interests amongst our centre members. In addition to those highlighted below, we’ve been doing yoga, singing with Opera North, a Summer trip for 200 to Filey, walk and talks, art classes, cinema visits and HIV testing. We’ve a day trip to the Dales coming up and a weekend trip to the Lakes, as well as a visit to Carmen on stage thanks again to the wonderful Opera North!
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Northern Broadsides Writing Workshops.
Expression is a powerful thing! We've been lucky to welcome Northern Broadsides Theatre Company to our Centre for a series of creative workshops. From creating monologues and crafting dramatic scenes, to poetry and more, the sessions are proving to be popular with our Centre Members.
Would you like to view some creative work from St. Augustine's? Join us at the following free event as part of the Halifax Festival of Words:
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Friday 22 October, 6:30 PM
Welcome To Yorkshire
Temperance Movement Cafe
An evening of multi-lingual poetry and spoken word from local writers and performers, plus special guests. Presented by St. Augustine’s Centre in partnership with Platforma 6. Part of a Yorkshire-wide project led by poet Kayo Chingonyi, produced by Counterpoints Arts.
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Women's Boxing.
Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy have started a session just for the ladies to box their way through Friday mornings. These sessions provide an excellent opportunity to get fit, release stress and build confidence in a safe, fun environment. We can't wait to return!
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The new studio is open.
A huge thank you goes out to our team of staff and tireless volunteers who have worked to clear out the old nursery, build out new rooms and offices, paint (a lot of paint!) and clean the new Studio. We now have an amazing space for all sorts of events which is already being put to great use - from Yoga to Writing Workshops.
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Update on the Borders Bill:
Our two local MPs, Craig Whittaker and Holly Lynch, are on the Borders Bill committee. We have a huge opportunity here in Calderdale to have our voices heard. We need to let them know the extent of the welcoming community and great contributions from people seeking sanctuary in Calderdale, and that the harmful proposals in the Bill do not represent the wishes of our local community. You can read our full recommendations on how to take action here.
Click here to access a template for a letter to MPs produced by Asylum Matters. Please take time to contact your MP!
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Become a Regular Supporter.
Our regular supporters are a vital part of the work we do. Having guaranteed income from our generous monthly givers means we are able to plan for long term solutions and invest in bigger projects to ensure the quality of holistic support we're known for.
It's also convenient! Many of our givers are able to give proportionately more than they might for just a single donation, as it's possible to spread the cost across the year. Every little bit helps, whether you give £5 a month or £100!
We currently have 46 regular givers - our goal is to have 60 by the end of the year. Can you help us reach our goal?
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We Need Women's Bikes
The Re:Cycle programme has been an undeniable success! We our so proud of our volunteers who put in a lot of hard work to keep the process running, repairing and giving out bikes.
We currently have a shortage of women's bikes. If you have a second-hand bike you can donate, call Kim at 07933 838607 to arrange a collection or drop-off.
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Donations Needed:
Our storage is currently overflowing with donations, but we are still in need of the following:
- Winter coats, hats & gloves for men, women and children
- Men's NEW socks and underwear
- Young men's sportswear
- Toiletries
Please contact Arsalan at 07719 878596 to arrange a collection or drop-off time.
NOTICE: Please DO NOT leave unsolicited donations at our doors, they create a safety hazard and we do not have the capacity to store these.
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Calderdale Valley of Sanctuary Schools Welcome Project
Schools across Calderdale are participating in a school project which aims to show that refugees and people seeking asylum are welcome in Calderdale. This project is part of a wider initiative to grow Schools of Sanctuary within Calderdale. If you'd like to know more about the project, contact Lisa.
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Thank you to our amazing community.
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September was an incredible month of fundraising and support from our community, and we can't thank you enough! Here's just a small snapshot of recent donations and support:
- Harvey's of Halifax donated a heap of brand new women's clothing
- Dean Clough & Trades Club are both holding drop-off points for second-hand tech
- Warley Road Academy raised £591 through student-led fundraising - read more about it in the Halifax Courier article here.
- Jo, Carmel & friends raised over £2,600 in sponsorships for a 15 mile hike over the highest Pennine moorlands
- Friendly Soap dropped off some vegan, cruelty-free (and amazing smelling) soaps to give out to our members - plus a load of new socks and underwear
- Project Challenge donated 40 pairs of hiking boots in a range of sizes
- Labour Calderdale Councillor Josh Fenton-Glynn ran one marathon and has another upcoming in support of us, plus Slow the Flow and the Community Foundation for Calderdale. There's still time to donate here and help him reach his target!
- Rachel Barnes ran two 10k runs within 24 hours and raised nearly £500!
- Temperance Café have continued to support us through the sale of totes and tees
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