Hardship Fund for Destitute Asylum Seekers in Glasgow  

Donate online via credit/debit or PayPal at this link. Or, send a cheque payable to Positive Action in Housing Hardship Fund, and post to Admin manager, PAIH, 98 W George St, Glasgow G2 1PJ. Or, give a regular, monthly donation at this link

Positive Action in Housing is a homelessness charity assisting refugee and migrant communities in Scotland. Amongst our various activities, we provide a Hardship Fund and emergency free shelter for destitute people seeking asylum. "Appeals rights exhausted" asylum seekers are forbidden to work, claim benefits, access homeless accommodation or any other public funds. In other words they are left absolutely destitute in the UK.

In 2010, we helped 356 destitute people, who would otherwise be street homeless, get food and shelter. We provided 1,453 nights of emergency shelter (through hostels and our volunteers). We also gave out over 700 payments totalling £22,150.

The Hardship fund gives crisis payments to people all over Scotland throughout the year who are at risk of being destitute. We currently give out a total of £2000 every month in crisis payments to vulnerable people, including pregnant women, young people, families, elderly people and those suffering from severe mental health problems, HIV or diabetes.

We desperately need donations to allow us to continue this much needed humanitarian work. 

With your help, we can support people like the Kataria family, who were made destitute by the UKBA less than 2 months after their 23 month old son died after falling from the third floor tenement window of an Angel Group flat, contracted to the UKBA. The family maintain there were no window restrictors fitted to that window. The Crown Office is investigating. As they no longer had a child they were no longer entitled to Section 4 accommodation (emergency housing). The UKBA made the couple destitute and refused to pay for their baby's funeral costs. Our destitution workers put them in touch with a new lawyer. They also found shelter for them in the homes of one of our volunteers, Edith. We  provided money from the Hardship fund. This gave them time to grieve the loss of their child and to start gathering the evidence for their case in a supportive environment. Edith is now a lifelong friend to the Katarias, and supported them through a very tragic period in their life.

In March 2010, the Sehryk family committed triple suicide after they ran out of all options.  Sergue, Tatiana and their teenage son Stepan threw themselves from the 15th floor of their YMCA flat at Red Road in Glasgow. The family were in genuine fear of being returned to their country of origin because of Mr Sehryk's links with the Russian military intelligence. The YMCA told them to leave by March 7. The UKBA stopped their modest benefits. They were forbidden to work and had no other means to support themselves. According to a lawyer that advised them, the family were shocked to be told that if they did not return they would be made destitute in an attempt to force them to return.  Tragically, the Sehryk family didn't overstay their 'welcome': they left suicide notes and personal papers with a friend, and on the morning of Sunday March 7, their supposed eviction date, they jumped from the balcony of their 15th floor high rise flat. Their story became the subject of international media attention.

Please support us to continue this much needed humanitarian work in the coming months .

£5 provides money for at least one meal a day for a destitute pregnant woman.

£15 pays for a sleeping bag.

£20 provides money for food for one week for a destitute young woman under 21, and assists us to provide her with shelter in the homes of one of our volunteers, and prevents her being sexually exploited, or worse.

£30 pays for an advice session at Positive Action in Housing, where people can be referred to accommodation volunteers and get specialist help for their asylum case, or for other circumstances which make them vulnerable, for example, mental health, rape trauma or other problems.

£35 provides food and essential bus fares for one week for a destitute adult and child.

£60 will pay for three nights in a hostel for a single destitute man.

£100 will provide money for a destitute couple to buy a second hand pram, baby clothes and warm blankets for their new born baby.

These payments make a huge difference, and give destitute people a chance to find a supportive legal adviser or get a review of erroneous asylum decisions .

The Hardship fund is a lifeline for those who have no alternatives left. Any donations, however modest, is enormously appreciated.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the Hardship Fund and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer.

 *Donate online now via credit/debit or paypal at this justgiving page.

*Alternatively, send a cheque made payable to Positive Action in Housing Hardship Fund, and post to Donations, Positive Action in Housing, 98 W George St, Glasgow G2 1PJ.  

*Give a regular, monthly donation using this secure link at  http://www.justgiving.com/paih/donate .

Remember, the gift aid is collected automatically and makes it easier for us to get on with our humanitarian work.

To donate in any other ways please email home@paih.org.

Thank you so much for your support and good wishes!