Asylum-seekers are now being housed in hotels in North Yorkshire. The demand for hotels is largely because the Home Office has built up a massive backlog of asylum claims: only 4% were decided on time in 2021. If the asylum claims were dealt with on time (given that around 85% of claims are granted), refugees could start their own lives and hotels wouldn’t be needed.
As a result, some asylum-seeking families are in a few hotels in North Yorkshire, and we’ve been asked to help provide uniforms so that refugee children can attend school. The families have fled war or persecution in places like Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There are 2 ways to help:
- donations of good quality second-hand uniforms from age 4-18 – details below
- donating to our JustGiving page so that we can buy new school shoes – details below
Second-hand items needed (or new if you’re able!)
For the sake of refugee childrens’ dignity, please don’t donate pilled, stained, frayed or torn items, or shirts that have gone a funny colour in the wash. The following are needed for girls and boys aged 4-18:
- Winter coats
- School bags
- Black trousers (girls’ and boys’)
- Grey skirts and some dresses for primary schools
- White shirts
- Black socks and woolly tights
- Black jogging bottoms for PE
New school shoes
No one really wants to wear second-hand shoes, so we’re hoping to raise £1,000 to provide 50 pairs of new shoes that fit, that are comfortable, and that look smart. The budget is £20 per refugee child, based on supermarket prices. Please donate what you can – all sums welcome – but it may be helpful to remember that £20 will buy 1 pair of shoes.
Visit our JustGiving page
If you can’t give via JustGiving, we accept cash or cheques made payable to ‘Ripon City of Sanctuary’. You can also donate online, but please tell us you’ve done so, so we can ring-fence it for this purpose. We’ll ensure the money is used to buy shoes.
How can you donate clothing safely?
- Please check and empty all pockets.
- For COVID reasons, please wash everything that can be washed (other than brand-new items)
- Please put everything into a strong plastic bag and tie the top.
How can you get donations to us?
Drop off either:
- in the lobby of Allhallowgate Methodist Church, Ripon, in the large plastic containers on the left of the glass entry doors. Check the church’s “What’s on” calendar for when it’s open
- at Snape Methodist Chapel, which is open daily during daylight hours.
Alternatively, please email us or send us a message via Facebook.
Any queries?
Please just drop us an email.