Dignity Centre Bournemouth

The Dignity Centre is now closed until Tuesday but we will be at The Old School House in Boscombe BH7 6BG on Monday 1:30pm-4:30pm (lunch, gardening and other activities). Please come and join us!

Tuesday to Friday at the Centre:
☕ Drop in 10:30am-4:30pm
👕 Dignity Market 10:30am-1:30pm

📖 Tuesday 2pm - English with Joseph. Beginners

📖 Wednesday 2pm-4pm - English with Kath.

📖 Thursday 2pm - English with Joseph. Grammar and sentence structure.

💪 Friday - Careers Advice with Stuart from National Careers Service
📺 Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm - Games/Music/TV/Films

See you next week!

Zoe 😀

Thanks to everyone who has stepped up to help out this week. This includes Members, Volunteers and people from within the local Community.

Volunteers have literally dropped everything and cancelled plans to come and help manage new Member registrations and our Dignity Market. People from our local community have coordinated collections and deliveries of donations to the Centre and our current Members have offered much needed solidarity and support to our new Members, the vast majority of whom have only just arrived in the UK after a long and dangerous journey.

Your support means everything. Thank you ❤️

The Migrant Hub is open TODAY 2pm-4pm at Citygate Church with International Care Network.

Refreshments, games, and opportunities from the community, and English.

Community Action Network will be visiting to talk about volunteering opportunities.

The Dignity Centre is now closed until Tuesday.

Tuesday to Friday
☕ Drop in 10:30am-4:30pm
👕 Dignity Market 10:30am-1:30pm

📖 Tuesday 2pm - English with Joseph. Beginners

🚗 Wednesday 2pm - Preparing for your Driving Theory Test.
*No English with Kath - back next Wednesday*

🧵 Thursday 11am-1pm - Clothing Alterations with Fiona.
📖 Thursday 2pm - English with Joseph. Grammar and sentence structure.

💪 Friday - Careers Advice with Stuart from National Careers Service
📺 Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm - Games/Music/TV/Films

See you next week!

Zoe 😀

Our friends over at International Care Network have some activities planned for you this week:

Thursday 29th August: Beach volleyball, games and BBQ (Halal meat) at Boscombe Beach. 11am-4pm. Lunch will be around 1pm.

Friday 30th August: Air Show afternoon. Meet at 1:30pm at the Roundhouse and walk down together. Cake and drinks will be provided.

Contact Sophie at ICN for more information.

Due to staff shortages the Dignity Centre will open at 1:30pm today (Thursday).

2pm-3pm 📚 📖 English with Joe

2pm-4pm 🪡 🧵 Clothing alterations with Fiona and Rosie

Open Friday as normal 10:30am-4:30pm

If you are street homeless St Mungo's is open from 10am-1pm. Fusion, 4-6 Old Christchurch Lane, Bournemouth BH1 1NE

Refugees at Home connects hosts with a spare room to refugees and people seeking asylum in need of a temporary home.

Refugees at Home is looking for new hosts in Bournemouth and towns/cities across the UK that are well connected and have good public transport links. This enables guests to travel to college, school, support groups or jobs, and retain their independence.

If you are not in a position to host, please consider sharing this appeal for hosts with your network.

Thank you.

We're aware that many of our Members who are seeking asylum have recently received letters from the Home Office inviting them to attend their Asylum Substantive (Big) Interview. This is a long and difficult interview in the asylum process, conducted by the Home Office interviewer to determine whether to grant refugee status or other forms of right to remain.

Learn more about the process and how to prepare for the interview here (also available in different languages on the Right to Remain YouTube Channel).

The asylum substantive interview The asylum, or substantive, interview is when the Home Office interviewer will ask you in detail about your reasons for claiming asylum. The interview may la...

The Centre is now closed until Tuesday:

Tuesday to Friday
☕ Drop in 10:30am-4:30pm
👕 Dignity Market 10:30am-1:30pm

📖 Tuesday 2pm - English with Joseph. Beginners

📖 Wednesday 2pm - English with Kath. Advanced.
📖 Wednesday 3pm - English with Kath. Beginners.

📖 Thursday 2pm - English with Joseph. Grammar and sentence structure.

📺 Friday 1:30pm - Games/Music/TV/Films

See you next week!

Zoe 😀

The Migrant Hub is open TODAY 2pm-4pm at Citygate Church with International Care Network.

Refreshments, games, and opportunities from the community, and English.

There are also summer activities to sign up for, including a football tournament that is taking place this week.

If you are currently street homeless in Bournemouth St Mungo's will be providing a safe place for you to go during the day on Sunday whilst the planned far right and counter protests are happening.

Phone St Mungo's on 01202 315962 or email B&[email protected].

If you are already known to the Outreach Team they will aim to make contact with you to provide details of where to go today.

Stay safe ❤️

The Dignity Centre is now closed and will reopen at 10:30am on Tuesday 20th August:

☕️ Drop in: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10:30am-4:30pm
👕 Dignity Market and Help Desk: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10:30am-1:30pm
📖 Tuesday 2pm - English with Joseph. Beginners.
📖 Wednesday 2pm - English with Kath. Advanced.
📖 Wednesday 3pm - English with Kath. Beginners.
📖 Thursday 2pm - English with Joseph. Grammar and sentence structure.
🎶 Thursday 3pm - Music with Caroline, Bob & Geoff from Seeking Refuge
📺 Friday 1:30pm - Games/TV/Films

See you next week!

Zoe - Centre Coordinator

We proudly stand together with our communities to remind everyone that there is no place for hate in Dorset.

If you have been the victim of a hate crime, we want you to know that we are there for you. Please report it to us so we can investigate offences fully and signpost you to support.

Find out more at: https://www.dorset.police.uk/hatecrime

Report a hate crime: https://www.dorset.police.uk/ro/report/hate-crime/triage/v1/report-hate-crime/

For many reasons, it can now be difficult to find a Legal Aid immigration lawyer. This is due to the fact that most Legal Aid lawyers have many clients and do not have the capacity to take on any more. Also, the Home Office has created big delays in giving people a decision on their asylum claim – this means that lawyers are representing clients for a longer time than they would have before.

If It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the asylum and immigration system using the Toolkit guide, in case you must wait a long time for a lawyer or take action on your case for yourself.

Introduction to the Right to Remain Toolkit - an aid to understanding the asylum and immigration system in the UK, and taking action for the right to remain - http://www.righttoremain.org.uk/toolkit

The Dignity Centre is open Tuesday to Friday 10:30am-4:30pm. Come in and make use of our free WiFi, access the Toolkit on our Centre laptop, watch Right to Remain Toolkit videos on YouTube and get information about lawyers who are taking on Legal Aid cases.

https://youtu.be/lQ7fnER3ccQ?si=k7z6_cXFeQBelSJz

Right to Remain Toolkit Introduction to our Toolkit - an aid to understanding the asylum and immigration system in the UK, and taking action for the right to remain - http://www.rig...

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by the Centre to drop off much needed donations of shoes and clothing for our Members this week. We are still in dire need of old (working) mobile phones so if you can help please get in touch.

Refugees and people seeking asylum are more likely to experience digital exclusion, and do so with greater consequences when they do. Access to the right technology is fundamental to accessing basic services and information, enrolling in and thriving in education, applying for jobs and communicating with solicitors. Many view access to a mobile phone and internet as being critical to their safety and security and essential for keeping in touch with loved ones.

Thank you to everyone who's donated so far ❤️

“No one should ever miss out on playing football because they don’t have a pair of boots”

At the Dignity Centre in Bournemouth we know how important football is to so many of our Members. When you donate a pair of football boots you can guarantee to make someone's day! With this in mind we have joined the Football Rebooted network and are now a collection and distribution point for preloved, good quality football boots and astros.

If you have any spare boots to donate you can now drop off at the Dignity Centre at 108 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth during our opening hours Tuesday-Friday 10:30am-4:30pm. As long as your boots are not damaged in any way, they should have life left in them. We do ask that you help us to get your boots ‘claim-ready’, by giving them a clean if they need it.

All donated boots will be made available to those who need them for FREE.

Football Rebooted | Utilita Energy Helping Britain rehome pre-loved football boots. From the Premier League to Primary schools, everyone can get involved in Football Rebooted. It’s free and easy to donate or claim football boots — for your club, school or organisation to become a Football Rebooted Collection Point.

Thank you to all our Members, Volunteers and Supporters for getting us through a difficult week in Bournemouth. The love and support for refugees and people seeking asylum in our community has far outweighed the hate. We've seen anti-hate demonstrations, more passers by popping in to the Centre to learn more about the work of Refugee Support Europe and more people wanting to find out how best they can support refugees and people seeking asylum in Bournemouth.

Despite having to close the Centre as a cautionary measure on Wednesday we had our first Friday opening last week and made sure the space was filled with love, laughter and positivity whilst also offering our Members practical support with shoes, clothing and toiletries from our Dignity Market, help writing CVs, applying for housing, finding solicitors (no mean feat...) and job search amongst many other things.

Want to find out more? Contact Zoe, Centre Coordinator on +44 (0)7523 841 440 or email [email protected]

The Power of Solidarity and Community Racism, Islamophobia and hatred against migrants have no place in our country. We stand together with our communities to offer support.

The Dignity Centre is now closed and will reopen at 10:30am on Tuesday 13th August:

☕️ Drop in: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10:30am-4:30pm
👕 Dignity Market and Help Desk: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10:30am-1:30pm

📖 Tuesday 2pm - English with Joseph. Beginners.

📖 Wednesday 2pm - English with Kath. Advanced.
📖 Wednesday 3pm - English with Kath. Beginners.

📖 Thursday 2pm - English with Joseph. Grammar and sentence structure.
Thursday 3pm - Music with Caroline, Bob & Geoff from Seeking Refuge

Friday 1:30pm - Games/TV/Films

See you next week!

Zoe - Centre Coordinator

From tomorrow, the Dignity Centre will be open on Fridays 10:30am-4:30pm.

Dear Members,

The Dignity Centre will be closed on Wednesday 7th August due to possible protests and violence in Bournemouth. Please stay safe and call 999 (police, ambulance, fire brigade) in an emergency.

Recommendations:
- Ask trusted people in your community about any recent risks, such as local attacks or threats.
- Go out with someone else, not alone, where possible.
- Keep your phone charged or carry a charger with you, and make sure you have important numbers saved.
- Let people know where you are going and what time you expect to return, so that they can check in with you or let someone know if they are not able to reach you.
- Avoid meeting in large groups.

Zoe, Centre Coordinator will be available on +44 (0)7523 841 440 or [email protected] if you have any questions.

Stay safe and well,

The Dignity Centre Team

Please show REAV Community & Volunteers your support. Like, share and follow on Facebook.

This is a great example of a grassroots organisation brought to life by a vibrant and committed group of refugees and people seeking asylum seeker looking to support their own mental health and wellbeing by giving back to Bournemouth through volunteering. Building community as they rebuild their lives.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563676770686

We know that recent events have understandably prompted growing safety concerns among Muslim communities and people seeking asylum. With further far-right demonstrations planned for the coming days in Bournemouth and Weymouth it is important that you know your rights.

If you experience any form of hate crime, it’s important to report your situation. Reporting your situation can help to ensure that the incident does not continue and helps the police to better respond to incidents of hate crime.

If your situation is an emergency, call the police at 999.

Hate crimes and incidents are dealt with by your local police and have no impact on your asylum application. If someone tries to hurt you because of who you are or who they think you are, it is not your fault. The police will work with you to ensure that the investigation does not interrupt your asylum application appointments and details of your Hate Crime report will not be passed on to your case owner at the Home Office.

Also, reporting a hate incident will not affect your accommodation or housing support, however if you need safer accommodation because of your hate incident, you will be supported with this.

Please also know that you ARE welcome here ❤️

Hate crime - Migrants' Rights Network Find out what constitutes hate crime, and what to do if you've been affected by it.

The Dignity Centre is now closed and will reopen at 10:30am on Tuesday 6th August:

☕️ Drop in: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10:30am-4:30pm
👕 Dignity Market and Help Desk: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10:30am-1:30pm

📖 Tuesday 2pm - English with Joseph. Beginners.

📖 Wednesday 2pm - English with Kath. Advanced.
📖 Wednesday 3pm - English with Kath. Beginners.

📖 Thursday 2pm - English with Joseph. Grammar and sentence structure.

See you next week!

What's on in the Dignity Centre tomorrow (Thursday 1st August 2024):

☕️ Drop in: 10:30am-4:30pm
👕 Dignity Market and Help Desk: 10:30am-1:30pm
🚶🏿‍♂️11am - A city walk with Dennis and Mandy. Getting to know Bournemouth.
📖 2pm - English with Joseph. Grammar and sentence structure.

See you tomorrow!

What's on at the Dignity Centre tomorrow (Thursday 1st August):

☕️ Drop in: 10:30am-4:30pm
👕 Dignity Market and Help Desk: 10:30am-1:30pm

City Walk with Mandy & Dennis: 11am

📖 English with Joe 2pm-3pm

You can also pick up tickets for Thursday's Cinema Evening.

What's on at the Dignity Centre tomorrow (Wednesday 30th July):

☕️ Drop in: 10:30am-4:30pm

👕 Dignity Market and Help Desk: 10:30am-1:30pm

📖 English with Kath. Advanced: 2pm
📖 English with Kath. Beginners: 3pm

Call in to the Centre tomorrow to enrol on the International Care Network 5 week ESOL course (for people seeking asylum who have arrived in the UK within the past 6 months).

You can also pick up tickets for this Thursday's Cinema Evening.

⚠️☀️ Hot Weather Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is now active.

The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) means BCP Council work with St Mungo's to provide extra support to those sleeping rough.

To refer a person sleeping rough to BCPSOS:
• Call 01202 315962
• Email B&[email protected]