Seeking sanctuary and finding opportunity
For people fleeing conflict, persecution, environmental breakdown, natural disasters and poverty in the hope of finding safety and security in the UK, support in accessing volunteering, skills-development and – depending on their legal status – employment opportunities is crucial. As well as boosting their future prospects and general wellbeing, it fosters unity and inclusion. That’s why the services provided by the Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers are so vital, writes Nina Meghji.
‘When I’m doing it, I feel peaceful, I feel happy, I don’t know why,’ says Alika*. ‘I just fell in love with it.’
Based in southeast London, Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers (SDCAS) has offered a safe space to refugees and people seeking asylum for more than 25 years. Operating across three day centres in Southwark – which was named a ‘Borough of Sanctuary’ in October 2024, a status that recognises it as a welcoming place of safety for people who are migrants, refugees or seeking asylum – the charity’s dedicated team of 16 members of staff and over 100 volunteers delivers support to 160 people on average a week.
Alika regularly attends the day centres and, with support from the charity’s employability service, joined crocheting and knitting classes in her local area that have a hugely positive impact on her life. ‘Being in the group is very nice,’ she says. ‘You meet different people [and] they teach you many, many things.’
‘The training made me feel like “I can do it”’
SDCAS offers free advice and an extensive and varied range of services to support the emotional and material needs of its clients. It works with partners such as Southwark Community Forum, Refugee Action and Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network, as well as the London Borough of Southwark
Upon entering one of the three day centres, clients are warmly received at reception and referred to a member of the ‘triage team’ for an initial assessment to identify and prioritise their needs. As well as receiving in-house assistance, they are referred and signposted to trusted partner organisations and external services.
The day centres also provide refreshments, a free lunch and a space to socialise and participate in creative activities. There are English-language classes, creche facilities, emergency food bags, clothing donations, therapeutic workshops, and gardening and allotment projects. Clients are offered support with further and higher education pathways, as well as with accessing things such as SIM cards. Outreach workers from the NHS Health Inclusion Team and Citizens Advice are also available on-site.
Employability support – one of SDCAS’ newest services – is available to clients with the right to work and those who are waiting for a decision on their claim for asylum. The service aims to support the development of employability skills, foster social inclusion and help individuals to cultivate a sense of purpose and build self esteem.
Alika says she wouldn’t have known where to look for classes or how to get in touch with the facilitators without support from SDCAS. While crocheting and knitting is a hobby at the moment, she believes it can become something bigger in the future as the classes have boosted her self-confidence and sense of ambition. ‘The training made me feel like “I can do it”. It gave me [the sense] that “you can do better than this”… If I can get a shop [and] find a sewing machine… I can employ people… I want a [space where] people will come to learn.’
‘These kinds of employability skills are valuable to all clients’
Employability sessions are tailored to each individual and client-led. Though broad in scope, they typically include identifying skills and interests, searching for purposeful volunteer, employment and community learning opportunities, creating CVs and making speculative applications. There is an emphasis on developing functional language skills using formal, informal and non-verbal communication, alongside guidance on writing, responding to emails and face-to-face interaction. These kinds of employability skills are valuable to all clients, irrespective of age and whether they are seeking paid work or not.
For Alika, participating in the classes is about lifelong learning and finding and doing something that makes her feel good.‘These courses now, I don’t want to leave them. Before I didn’t know that I would have a passion for it. But when I started learning, that led me to this… I’m 62 now… Age is telling… [When I’m older] I will be in my house, doing the crochet and people will come and learn. It’s good for me. It’s really good for me. I love it.’
Many clients who access the employability service lack the informal social networks necessary to find out about jobs, training and volunteering. They frequently rely on large-scale national and global job sites and compete for over-subscribed positions. At SDCAS they are encouraged to adopt an integrative, strategic and innovative approach to job seeking using traditional and non-traditional pathways.
From those who have not yet been granted the right to work or are experiencing health issues, there are regular requests for help with finding opportunities to volunteer. For people living in temporary accommodation – often hotels – volunteering is a chance to spend time outside of their rooms and interact with a wider group of people. It can also create opportunities to generate friendships, develop technical, social and language skills, and build professional connections.
‘I want to do something positive’
SDCAS also has a client-volunteer programme through which 19 current clients provide support across a variety of the charity’s service areas. They include Latif, who began volunteering at SDCAS after attending one of the day centres a year ago. ‘I was wondering all the time, how can I give back to SDCAS, because I want to do something positive… Other people are sacrificing their time and their knowledge and their skills to help in the community, so I made a request for volunteering.’
Latif’s first role was in the kitchen where the head cook at SDCAS encouraged him to make a meal that represented cuisine from his home country. ‘She was surprised how I prepared food like I have experience. I told her, “This is the passion and the love”. When you love something, everything will be easy for you to do it. It was a good experience for me to prepare that delicious food for people and everybody was happy with the food I cooked.’
Since then, Latif has supported SDCAS in a variety of roles and is keen to help out in any way he can. ‘I wanted to do some creative things in the centre. However, when they need my skills I’m happy to do what they ask me. I do some flyers and posters and I try to help everyone… I created a logo for the women’s group… It means a lot to me.’
He believes volunteering fosters unity and inclusion and enables him to communicate a personal message. ‘I want to give back, not only take… To say, “We’re sharing the same values, we can do great things"… We learn from each other. Doesn’t matter your background, doesn’t matter your religion, doesn’t matter your language.’
For Latif the ethos at SDCAS is a barometer of UK culture more broadly. ‘This has given me a clear idea about how this country is… The UK, it’s such a lovely country – welcoming and open. It’s about the opportunities – great human opportunities to meet, to talk, to share, to have, to give, to think.’
*The names of the interviewees have been changed to safeguard their privacy and protect their identities.
SDCAS will launch a crowdfunder later this month to ensure it can continue running its vital services through a challenging funding environment. Ahead of that, you can support it here.
Nina Meghji established the SDCAS employability service in 2024 and volunteered as an employability advisor and mentor for the charity. A freelance writer, researcher and editor based in London, she has designed and delivered non-formal education and international development projects in the UK and Africa and specialises in youth, employability, gender and inclusion.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Runnymede Trust.
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Photo © SDCAS volunteer team
