Support services open over Christmas and New Year

[ ]

Crisis at Christmas

Crisis at Christmas have three day centres across London offering:

  • Hot meals and snacks
  • Shower facilities
  • Toiletries
  • Advice, information and support
  • Free international phone calls
  • Healthcare, podiatry and opticians
  • A salon service offering haircuts, hair styling, beard trims and nail care
  • Computer access, printing and support to get online
  • Creative sessions
  • Films and TV
  • Games, quizzes and bingo
  • Sports (including a football tournament!)

.

Full details can be found on the Crisis website:

https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-help/join-us-for-christmas/christmas-guest-invite-london/

“Can I sleep at Crisis at Christmas?”

Most guests do not stay overnight. Crisis have some residential centres for people in the most urgent need. From the website: “If you do not have anywhere to sleep, please speak to your Outreach worker or contact StreetLink on 0300 500 0914 for help.”

Crisis at Christmas - Stratford

Stratford Day Centre

School 21
Pitchford Street
Stratford
E15 4RZ

BUS Nos. D8, 25, 425.

Drop In

10am-5pm
24th-28th Dec

Crisis at Christmas - Bermondsey

Bermondsey Day Centre (Harris Academy Bermondsey)

55 Southwark Park Road
SE16 3TZ

BUS Nos. 1, N1

Drop In

10am-5pm
24th-28th Dec

Crisis at Christmas - Pimlico

Pimlico Day Centre

Pimlico Academy
36 Lupus Street
Pimlico
SW1V 3AT

BUS Nos. 2, 24, 36, 360

Drop In

10am-5pm
24th-28th Dec

Whitechapel Mission

212 Whitechapel Road
E1 1BJ

T 03000 111 400

E info@whitechapel.org.uk

Drop In  6am-11am

Breakfast – 8am

Showers – 7am-10am

Every day

Services include:

  • Breakfast from 8am-10am;
  • Hot shower and clothing;
  • Advice;
  • Hairdressing;
  • Optician;
  • Dentistry; and
  • Medical care

The Ace of Clubs

St Alphonsus Road
SW4 7AS (South side of Clapham Common)

020 7720 2811 / 020 7720 0178

Drop In day centre

12pm-2.30pm
Monday to Friday

  • Lunch: 12pm-2.15pm
  • Showers: Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 9.20am-11.50pm
  • Dentist: Monday 12pm-2.30pm
  • Nurse: Monday & Thursday – 12pm-2.30pm

Book Showers and Dentist in advance 020 7720 2811

Service include:

  • A hot meal (£1);
  • Healthcare support;
  • Clothing bank;
  • Housing support;
  • Welfare support;
  • Access to computers;
  • Nursing support; and
  • Laundry (£2).

For more info visit: Ace of Clubs

Samaritans

Whatever you’re going through, if you need someone to talk to, we listen.

116 123

24/7, 365 days a year

Services include a call free helpline to talk through any worries, concerns and troubles.

CALM - campaign against living miserably

CALM provides a helpline which you can call throughout the year.

0800 58 58 58

5pm-Midnight
Everyday

Papyrus

Mental health support – HOPELINE247

Confidential support and advice service for children and young people under the age of 35.

If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned for a young person who might be you can contact HOPELINE247 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Call: 0800 068 41 41

Text: 88247

24/7
Everyday

Shout 85258

Shout 85258 is an anonymous text support service. You can text us from wherever you are in the UK.

If you are struggling to cope and need to talk, our trained Shout Volunteers are here for you, day or night.

Text 85258 for free confidential support.

24/7
Everyday

Services open some days between 21st Dec & 3rd Jan

[ ]

Manna Centre

12 Melior Street, SE1 3QP (near London Bridge station)

020 7403 1931

Services include:

  • Meal every day 9.30 – 1.30;
  • Housing & welfare advice helpline 020 7403 1931 (choose option 1); and
  • Mon/Wed/Friday: clothing (request slip needs to be filled).

.

CLOSED when Crisis is open.

Between 24th-28th December

 

North London Action for the Homeless

St Paul’s Church Hall, 182 Stoke Newington Rd, N16 7UE (on the corner of Stoke Newington Rd and Amhurst Rd)

T 07421 032553

Mon 11am to 2pm,

Wed 5pm to 8pm

E: nlah_uk@nlah.org.uk

Services include:

  • Vegetarian meal;
  • Clothes;
  • Washing facilities;
  • Laundry; and
  • Haircuts.

.

Open Mondays 12pm to 1.30pm and Wednesday 6pm to 7.30pm

CLOSED Monday 25th December, Monday 3oth December, and Wednesday 1st January

Re-opens Monday 6th January 2024

JRS services during the rest of the year

[ ]

JRS Shop

The centre is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for refugees registered with JRS to visit the JRS Shop: to collect food parcels, toiletries, enjoy a cup of tea, and, where possible, speak to a member of the JRS team for advice face-to-face.

A member of the JRS team will contact you to arrange a day and time for you to visit.

You must have an appointment to visit JRS in Wapping at this time. If you come without an appointment, we’re sorry but we may not be able to help you.


For more information, or to register please contact us on 020 7488 7310. The JRS team remains available to support you as much as possible over the phone.

Advice, Support & Hardship Grants

Once registered with JRS, as well as accessing the JRS Shop (by appointment), you can receive small hardship grants via a top-up cash card (Equals card) and regular mobile phone credit top-ups too.

We continue to offer casework advice and support over the phone; as well as an emotional support & befriending scheme, where we pair you up with one of our volunteers for regular check-ins.

For more information, or to register with JRS UK, please contact us on 020 7488 7310

Refugee-led activities

Once registered with JRS UK, you’ll be able to participate in a range of online (and some face-to-face) activities including:

  • Creative writing
  • Drama
  • Photography
  • Acupuncture & Reflexology
  • Bike lessons with The Bike Project
  • Prayer and reflection groups

For more information, or to register with JRS UK, please contact us on 020 7488 7310

Detention Outreach Services

Our Detention Outreach Team offers support to men and women currently detained at the Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) near Heathrow Airport – Colnbrook, Harmondsworth and the Sahara Unit. Our team are here to offer you practical help and casework advice as well as emotional and pastoral support during your time in detention.

Our team of volunteers are available to come and visit you whilst you are detained and can be a friend for you to talk to and a vital link with the community outside detention.

If you would like some support and someone to talk to you can call us on 07762 387096. If we cannot take your call, please leave a message or send us an SMS with your name, phone number and the language you speak, and we will call you back as soon as we can.

Our services are confidential and open to anyone at Harmondsworth and Colnbrook. If we are not able to help you we may know someone who can and we will assist you in contacting them.

Post Detention Support

The majority of people who experience immigration detention are released back into the community, however the damaging impact of detention can continue to affect individuals long after release. JRS UK can help you to make contact with local organisations who may be able to support you after detention and assist you to re-connect with your community.

Our team also provides in-depth casework support for a small number of high-need individuals who would otherwise struggle to engage with their immigration case. By providing long-term accompaniment we aim to help individuals to make progress with their immigration cases. Due to the nature of this project, we can only take referrals when there is capacity.

If you have experienced immigration detention, or are supporting someone who has, and need some support in the community, contact William at william.neal@jrs.net or call 07809 759677

Other places who may be able to offer you support during the rest of the year

[ ]

There are other places across London who may be able to offer support as well as JRS UK. Below is a short list of places.

Samaritans

116 123

Services:

  • Call free helpline on 116 123 or email  jo@samaritans.org to talk through any worries, concerns and troubles.
  • Open 24/7, 365 days a year

Shelter

0808 800 4444

Various Locations: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland

Services:

  • Help with housing issues and homelessness
  • Applying for shelter
  • Legal advice
  • Book via phone or online

Manna Centre

12 Melior Street
SE1 3QP

(near London Bridge station)

020 7403 1931

Services:

  • Daily Drop-in from 10 am – 1 pm
  • Takeaway meal, consisting of a hot dinner and a sandwich.
  • Housing & welfare advice helpline 020 7403 1931 (choose option 1)
  • Mon/Wed/Friday: clothing (request slip needs to be filled)

Location on Google Maps

British Red Cross

LondonRU@redcross.org.uk

020 7704 5670

Services:

Refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants can get free emergency support including:

  • food
  • small amounts of cash
  • clothes
  • toiletries
  • blankets
  • baby items

What is offered depends where you are in the country. Help could also include:

  • reuniting with family
  • travel vouchers
  • benefits and career advice
  • help registering with a doctor or dentist
  • coming with you to appointments
  • learning about life in the UK
  • getting to know your local area
  • counselling

South London Refugee Association

The Woodlawns Centre
16 Leigham Court Road
SW16 2PJ 

02034903443

Services: 

  • Telephone advice prioritised for asylum seekers,  new refugees at risk of destitution  & families, individuals with no recourse to public funds on homelessness, housing issues, destitution, welfare benefits, asylum support and immigration issues.
  • Caseworkers will continue to provide casework support to adults and young people remotely. We will be using interpreters to support phone conversations for those who need this.
  • Support volunteers will call those identified as vulnerable or isolated regularly, checking in with them, having a chat and making sure that they have access to food and medicine if they are self-isolating.
  • Women’s Group on  Whatsapp and Zoom, and Women’s Group facilitator will be sharing resources, selfcare material, educational games for children, virtual yoga sessions and will be keeping the women updated with the
    news and with changes.
  • Counsellor is providing telephone support for those receiving
    casework support or advice from our team.
  • Youth Activities for young people ages 14 to 18 years who would
    usually attend the Youth Club
  • Emergency Hardship Support, delivery of food and other essentials including toiletries and sanitary products. We can also provide small one-off hardship payments ( up to £20 per person) for families who are experiencing severe hardship and those who have no recourse to public funds. Please note that this emergency service is only available to clients with no other income or support and who
    are local to us (Lambeth, Wandsworth, Merton, Croydon and Southwark).

Location on Google Maps

Notre Dame Refugee Centre

Maison Pierre Chanel
16 Leicester Square
London, WC2H 7LE

020 7440 2668

Immigration advice line: 0207 440 2669 (10.30-12.30, Wednesdays & 10.30-13.30 on Fridays)

Services:

Support asylum seekers throughout the asylum process:

  • ​Before an asylum claim has been lodged with the Home Office
  • Whilst awaiting a decision.
  • After the decision has been received, and regardless of whether the applicant has been recognised by the Home Office as a refugee.
  • If recognised as a refugee, we can then assist with Family Reunion applications
  • Support non-EU migrants who have not claimed asylum, but are seeking or have sought leave to remain under human rights legislation, usually through having established a private or family life under the European Convention on Human Rights.
  • Non-EU family members of EU citizen’s resident in the UK can also receive assistance from us to regularise their stay, or bring other family members to the UK.
  • Representing clients at the Immigration tribunal where there is merit in their case and legal aid is not available.

Location on Google Maps

Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers

020 7732 0505
office@sdcas.org.uk

Various Day centres at Copleston Centre (Tuesdays), Peckham Park Road Baptist Church (Wednesdays) and St Mary’s Newington (Thursdays) are available to clients on a drop-in basis.

Services: 

  • Emergency parcels of food and other essentials to those who need them on Wednesdays at 121 Peckham Park Road, Peckham Park Road Baptist Church, SE15 6SX from 10am – 2pm
  • Providing access to food, accommodation, toiletries, safe accommodation and government support.
  • Facilitating people’s access to healthcare.

Location of Main Office on Google Maps

Hackney Migrant Centre

Services:

Book an appointment on the Advice Line, call 07961 014182 (Mondays, 10am -11.30am)

Advice line offers free advice and casework for all migrants regardless of immigration status, nationality or current place of residence on:

  • Immigration
  • Homelessness and insecure housing, including destitution cases with “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF)
  • Poverty relief, including food bank vouchers and small grants
  • Health advocacy, for help with access to NHS services, GP registration and problems with NHS charges.

Refugee Council

02073466700

info@refugeecouncil.org.uk

Services:

  • Infoline (08081967272)– aims to connect refugees and people seeking asylum with organisations who can help. This is a short term project to support people during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Crisis advice and practical support for refugees, help them to integrate into their new communities
  • Mental health counselling to help refugees come to terms with the trauma so many of them have experienced.
  • Support refugee children and young people who arrive in the UK alone.

Jesuit Refugee Service UK
The Hurtado Jesuit Centre
2 Chandler Street, London E1W 2QT

020 7488 7310
uk@jrs.net

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe

Follow Us