This list was compiled in summer 2020. Send corrections or additions to william.brook-hart@swvg-refugees.org.uk. Contact addresses etc. are not included because these may change. They can usually be found on the organisation’s website.
| 1. Applying for asylum and leave to remain | |
| UK Government: Home Office | See www.gov.uk “Claim asylum” web pages. |
| Migrant Help | Advice, helpline, Clear Voice interpreting service, video guides with subtitles in various languages. |
| Right to Remain | Information and very useful “toolbox” on website. |
| British Red Cross | Help and support to refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants.
Help to find and reunite family in the UK. |
| Medical Justice | Independent medical advice and assessment, and medico-legal reports to support asylum claims, for immigration detainees. |
| Advice – Lawyers | |
| Leonards solicitors | Southampton solicitors who advise people seeking asylum. |
| Jo Renshaw | SWVG’s legal advisor. |
| Coram Children’s Legal Centre | Experts in all areas of children’s rights, immigration, child protection, education and juvenile justice, CCLC provides free legal information, advice and representation. |
| Advice | |
| Citizens Advice | Immigration advice on website, and may provide some legal and other advice face to face. Has a Level 2 immigration adviser. |
| CLEAR Project, Southampton | CLEAR offers advice, information and guidance for refugees and asylum seekers. See CLEAR website Advice page. |
| SARC – Southampton Advice and Representation Centre Ltd | Charity provides advice on welfare benefits, employment law and discrimination issues. |
| MPs & City councillors | List and contact details on Southampton City Council website. |
| Support, advice and counselling | |
| Freedom from Torture | We help people recover from complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and other problems caused by torture. |
| The Lighthouse | The Lighthouse offers a safe haven for people in mental health crisis. It is staffed by mental health nurses and peer workers who themselves have experience of mental health crisis. |
| No Limits | Advice/support/counselling for young people aged 11-25 |
| Yellow Door (now includes Southampton Women’s Aid) | Offer a range of prevention and support interventions to those affected by domestic abuse and related harmful practices. We work with all ages & genders. |
| Modern slavery and trafficking | |
| Medaille Trust | Provides refuge and freedom to victims of modern slavery. |
| Migrant Help | Provides safe accommodation and support. |
| Stopthetraffik | See website and Southampton and Test Valley stopthetraffik facebook page. |
| Safeguarding | |
| SWVG safeguarding | See SWVG safeguarding policy and procedures. |
| Translation, interpreting | |
| Migrant Help Clear Voice Interpreting Services | Telephone interpreting, face to face, translation – may be a fee. |
| City of Sanctuary movement | Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole, Winchester are Cities of Sanctuary. SWVG participates with Southampton and Winchester CoS. |
| Other asylum and refugee organisations | Refer to SWVG webpage “Who Does What”. |
| 2. Health | |
| Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group | Website provides information and links to a wide range of health services, see “Local Health Services” webpage. They can translate information into other languages, provide large print, audio and braille versions. |
| GP surgeries/clinics | See Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group website. |
| Dental surgeries | NHS website “find a dentist” |
| Dental Emergencies | Call NHS 111 |
| Solent Mind | A registered charity providing a wide range of high quality services to support people with mental health problems across the Southern Region. |
| Steps 2 Wellbeing Southampton | Self-referral or via GP for mental health support. |
| Solent NHS Homeless Health team | A multi-disciplinary primary care team providing care to homeless people in Southampton. |
| British Medical Association (BMA) | Refugee and asylum seeker patient health toolkit (on website) including guidance on access to healthcare. |
| Doctors of the World | Resources such as guidance on access to healthcare, translated Covid-19 guidance, on the website. |
| 3. Money and essentials | |
| £ money | |
| SWVG Assist and legal aid fund | Contact SWVG Administrator and/or Co-ordinator. |
| Home Office Asylum Support | See www.gov.uk “asylum support” web pages. |
| Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) | See www.gov.uk Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) website, “services” page, mostly relevant to people with refugee status who may be entitled to state benefits. |
| Turn2Us | Useful Benefits calculator on website. Turn2us is a national charity helping people when times get tough. We provide financial support to help people get back on track. |
| Accommodation | |
| “NASS” accommodation | Clearsprings Ready Homes Ltd has the government contract to provide accommodation for people seeking asylum in the Southampton area. |
| Southampton CC Housing advice service | Advice on application for council accommodation and private accommodation. |
| Southampton CC Homelessness advice and housing options | For people at risk of homelessness who have children or vulnerable members in the household, seek specialist advice and assistance from the homelessness advice service. |
| Shelter | Advice, information and advocacy to people in need. |
| Commercial letting agencies, apps and adverts | |
| Clothing | |
| Clothing drop in | Organised by Southampton Action, at AMC on the last Friday morning of each month. |
| Basics Bank | Vouchers from SWVG Admin or Red Cross. |
| Vineyard Church Winchester | Children’s and babies’ clothing and equipment. Contact Linda Huggett. |
| Computers & internet | |
| Laptop & internet dongle | SWVG may purchase for school pupils; maybe from Jamie’s Computers |
| Libraries | |
| CLEAR IT room | Book or drop in; help is provided |
| Food | |
| Basics Bank | Vouchers from SWVG Admin or Red Cross. |
| Food packs at AMC | |
| Furniture and household appliances | |
| SCRATCH – Southampton City and Region Action to Combat Hardship | |
| Southampton City Mission Basics Bank | Food banks in the city centre and Lords Wood, Sholing, Swaythling – (referral via SWVG Admin and Co-ordinators) |
| Transport | |
| The Hub Cycleworks Southampton | |
| SWVG bus tickets | Contact SWVG Administrator. |
| 4. Activities | |
| Children’s education | |
| Wulfris Educational Foundation | Funding for secondary school uniforms and equipment (ask via SWVG Administrator). |
| Day centres | |
| Two Saints Day Centre | Day centre with advice, showers, laundry etc. |
| Employment | For those with leave to remain |
| JobcentrePlus | See Dept for Work and Pensions (DWP) website. |
| CLEAR Project | Employment advice and workclub. |
| T.E.E.M. Workclubs | Southampton Council employment support team. |
| English lessons / ESOL | |
| Southampton City College | May be concessions/free for some people with LtR. |
| Itchen 6th Form College – Adult Education | ESOL and IELTS classes. |
| CLEAR | ESOL classes. |
| SWVG | One-to-one English tuition. |
| Music and theatre | |
| World Stages Now | World Stages Now is a Southampton based organisation that provides a space for asylum seekers and refugees to collectively and creatively address issues of migration through drama and performance. |
| Religious organisations | |
| Southampton Council of Faiths
(member of the Inter Faith Network) |
|
| Sewing | |
| Sewing group | Womens’ sewing group – contact Southampton City of Sanctuary |
| Sport and fitness | |
| Solent University | Occasionally runs sport or fitness courses for BAME groups. |
| Gym membership | SWVG may provide: ask SWVG Admin |
| Saints Foundation | Southampton FC projects within the local community |
| Boxing Gym | Inner City Boxing , 76B St. Mary Street |
| Universities | |
| IntoUniversity Southampton West | Support for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to attain a university place or another chosen aspiration. |
| Solent | Is becoming a University of Sanctuary |
| Southampton | Intending to become a University of Sanctuary |
| STAR: Student Action for Refugees | Campaigns and volunteers. |
| Winchester | Is a University of Sanctuary; may support students taking a course in higher education. |
| Volunteering and volunteers | |
| Southampton Coronavirus Mutual Aid Group | Residents helping each other. |
| Southampton Time Bank | Practical help from approved volunteers. |
| Southampton Voluntary Services (SVS) | |
| 5. Other | |
| Room hire | |
| The Third Age Centre (3AC) | |
| The Avenue St Andrews Multicultural Centre (AMC) | |
| Medina Mosque activity centre and community hall |