People who have experienced forced displacement as the result of war, persecution or torture, and who arrive in Lancaster do so having travelled for many months and even years to find a place of safety. We recognise the many traumas that they will have experienced on this journey and the challenges that they know lie ahead for them. Our aim is to do what we can to offer welcome, practical support and friendship, to help them find a place of sanctuary in our district.
We make it our aim to provide a warm welcome to Lancaster and Morecambe to anyone resettling here. We provide ‘welcome packs’ of essential items of clothing and toiletries for those coming directly from their arrival in the UK, followed, in the coming weeks and months, by support in accessing English classes and integration activities.
Our staged support and person-centred approach, involving close collaboration with our partner charities, looks to use our resources in the most effective way to welcome each new arrival according to their needs.
Initial Support
Private companies are contracted by the Government to move asylum seekers to different locations in the UK and to provide basic accommodation, usually in hotels and then in shared houses. When an individual arrives, we welcome them with some necessary items, a rucksack, toiletries, a SIM card, socks and stationery and our partners at Global Link and RAIS provide practical help, making sure they are registered with a doctor, signposting them to help with legal matters, enrolling them onto English classes and showing them around the city.
Read more about the local integration activities we deliver by clicking the links below or using the drop-down on the main menu:
Our Partners
RAIS – Refugee Advocacy, Information and Support
RAIS serve people seeking asylum and refugees through advocacy, information and support including liaising with the Home Office and solicitors, contributing towards certain expenses from their welfare fund, helping with medical needs, accessing clothing and toiletries, and signposting to further support from partner charities and other agencies.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07731552259
Website: www.rais.org.uk
Their drop in times are:
Mondays: 10-12 in Morecambe and 15-17 in Lancaster
Wednesdays: 14-16 in Lancaster
Thursdays: 15-17 in Lancaster
Fridays: 14.30-16.30 in Morecambe
For more information on venue addresses, please email or call the number above.
Global Link
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01524 36201
Address: 29 Queen Street, Lancaster
Website: www.globallink.org.uk
For more information on activities and drop in times, please email or call the number above.