The centre is open from 9:30am to 4:00pm, Monday to Thursday. There are are three organisations with offices at St Anne’s:
- Asylum Link Merseyside ALM working with Asylum Seekers and Refugees
- The Merseyside Refugee Support Network MRSN, for people with Leave to Remain. MRSN also run a Newsgroup and is Liverpool’s contact point for City of Sanctuary
- The Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit GMIAU, providing Legal Immigration advice and representation.
Asylum Link works closely with both MRSN and the GMIAU but you should visit their websites for more specific information on what they do and how to access their services.
Nordoff & Robbins run a music therapy session from on Wednesdays with a Women’s group in the afternoon.
Asylum Link Merseyside has a broad range of provision which includes:
Casework – supporting people in the Asylum Process, including the destitute.
English Classes (ESOL) – regular classes Monday to Thursday with a mixed Conversation class on Tuesday afternoon, a Women only Conversation class on a Monday afternoon and a Women’s ESOL class on a Thursday afternoon. Both Women’s classes are run in conjunction with MRSN.
Well Being and Health – Activities and Volunteering Opportunities as well as sessions with NHS Providers and others. Social Activities run throughout the year.
The Action Asylum Project – A Big Lottery Funded project with the Task Force Trust, with ALM housing the National Coordinator and running local projects from St Anne’s.
Clothes store – call 0151 709 1713 to book an appointment to access our clothes store. There is a nominal charge for items, but those who are destitute or in receipt of asylum support are eligible for up to £10 worth of items per person, per month.
Hot meals – Tea, coffee, breakfast (9.30am) and a hot lunch (12pm) are served Monday – Thursday at our centre.
ALM can also provide training to Universities and others on the Asylum System, Complex Asylum Needs and its background issues. We provide Social Work and Occupational Therapy placements. We work in both primary and secondary schools on work related to Schools of Sanctuary – call 0151 709 1713 or email info@asylumlink.org.uk
Volunteering Opportunities for Asylum Seekers and Refugees – click here.
The best way to find out what is available is by phoning 0151 709 1713 or email info@asylumlink.org.uk
We garden at our Allotment on Wednesdays – meet at 12 at St Anne’s Centre
Bike rides – A regular Bike Club runs on a Tuesday from 12 noon – ask for Davshil. Please note the bikes we use for the bike club must be returned so other people can use them in the future.
Bike repairs are undertaken by separate team and run on a Tuesday from 10:30am. The marvelous mechanics also renovate bicycles which can be given away to those travelling long distances to access ESOL classes, those who have difficulty with mobility and those who volunteer for ALM. We can only do this infrequently when bikes are donated.
Action Asylum
The Action Asylum project runs a Wednesday Monthly Rock Climbing Session at the Climbing Hangar www.theclimbinghangar.com/refugees-rock (there is also an LGBTQI+ Tueday climbing group) and conservation volunteering opportunities such as Tree Planting and Beach Cleans take place throughout the year. Action Asylum connects people seeking asylum with locals to volunteer together in their communities, to improve their neighbourhood and the environment. The project has its own Instagram Site which can be found here.
For information or to register for local activities contact Rory Golding at actionasylumALM@asylumlink.org.uk or phone 07388 813584
Details will be made available here or on the ALM Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/asylumlinkmerseyside/
For National Project details email Emma Leaper on actionasylum@asylumlink.org.uk ActionAsylum runs in other cities: Stockton-on-Tees, Portsmouth, Leeds, Wakefield, Cardiff and Coventry. Further details are available here www.actionasylum.uk
PLEASE NOTE: We are very grateful for donations and we still collect clothes and shoes. However Asylum Link can no longer accept: furniture, baby equipment, children’s toys, duvets or pillows. We do not have space for these items. Thank you.