News / charity
Bristol refugee charity launches urgent appeal to find new home
A grassroots refugee charity has launched an appeal to find a bigger home, saying the need for their services is “greater than ever”.
The lease for Aid Box Community’s (ABC) current site on Cheltenham Road ends in July.
Having secured several years’ worth of funding, ABC say they need to expand to meet demand that means people currently have to queue outside at times to access their services.
is needed now More than ever
A deal for a new site fell through “unexpectedly”, the charity says, meaning it is now searching for a central location with good public transport links.
ABC offers a number of services to refugees in Bristol, including a free shop, a crisis fund and activities to help its users socialise, with nearly 5000 people and families having accessed their support in the last year alone.
View this post on Instagram
Speaking about the importance of the charity, a parent said that being able to access the free shop “change[s] me and my son’s daily life, making where we live feel more like home”.
Thousands of Bristolians have volunteered for and donated to the organisation, which operates on the principle of ‘Bristol love’, since it started up almost ten years ago.
Founder and director of ABC, Imogen McIntosh, said: “We are a truly Bristol charity, made from the love, time and financial contributions of the people who live here.
“We really urge members of the community, businesses, and landlords to come forward with leads for consideration so we can move on to the next stage of our journey.”
Main photo: Sofia Dhame
Read next:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
