URGENT APPEAL FOR SHELTER – AHMED, 21, FROM SUDAN

We urgently need to find a spare room or similar shelter as well as financial donations for Ahmed, 21 from Sudan.

Ahmed has been destitute since March 2006. He managed with the help from friends and charities for some time but found it increasingly difficult to survive without a fixed place to stay and the uncertainties while he waited for his lawyer to gather relevant documents and evidence to lodge a fresh claim. On the 13th of December his Section 4 application has finally been sent which entitles him to Section 4 accommodation. However, he has been warned that it could take up to 2-3 weeks before he gets a reply from Home Office.

As you will know, Sudan is a country with horrific human rights problems. A recent Amnesty International report states that:

The conflict in Darfur, Sudan, has led to some of the worst human rights abuses imaginable, including systematic and widespread murder, rape, abduction and displacement. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed by both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks, and over 2.5 million civilians have been displaced. Amnesty International has again raised the urgency of its work on Darfur in an effort to stop the atrocities taking place there, but we need your help to make peace and security a reality.

Do you have a spare room or space?

If you think you or someone you know has a spare room here in Glasgow and are willing to accommodate Ahmed for this interim period then please contact us on 0141 353 2220 or e-mail Jamie@paih.org

Give a Donation

The Hardship Fund supports people in this position by giving small amounts of cash for food and basic essentials. We desperately need donations as this work is not funded by any other means.

You can make an online donation by clicking here. Or send a donation by cheque, made out to Positive Action in Housing and marked Hardship Fund on the back, to:

Destitution Appeal
Positive Action in Housing
98 West George Street
Glasgow G2 1PJ

Thank you for your support.

Positive Action in Housing appeals for accommodation for destitute clients in good faith. We realise that accepting someone into your home is not without risk. To minimise this risk we disclose all information we posses about the client to volunteers. We are available to help resolve any concerns. We have never had any difficulties with clients staying with volunteers in this way but ultimate cannot take responsibility for any problems that may arise.

YOUNG BUX RAISE £421.18 FOR DESTITUTION FUND

By David reilly

One of Positive Action in housing’s committee members, Rev David McLachlan, and his band the Young Bux raised a miraculous £421.18 for PAIH’s destitution fund. It was actually a great night and loads of fun. In the end there were just over 100 people there, including a couple of our supporters. The band were excellent and folk were dancing from the minute they started the first song until the end of the night – including, at one point, your correspondent, david reilly. Aren’t you annoyed that you missed it now???? No? Fine then. The band didn’t speak all that much about the issues we were raising money for, but they did introduce one of their last songs by saying ‘this is as political as we get’. The song was … Michael Jackson’s ‘Black and White’ – I kid you not. Finally the raffle – we were lucky enough to be able to raffle a painting by Gail Martin. There was lots of interest and loads of tickets were sold. Some other prizes were up for grabs, including the ubiquitous bottle of whiskey. We had the draw during the interval and the lucky winner went up and chose … the painting! The winner was delighted with the painiting – saying that he chose it as it was ‘so beautiful’. Actually, the whiskey was chosen last, which makes you think that Rev McLaughlan’s congregation must be a prettty sober bunch!. The raffle alone made £100.

One of our very talent volunteers performed a star turn by playing the keyboard and signing one of his own songs. Claude spoke a little about Burundi and why people were forced to flee to the UK before utterly wowing the crowd with his performance

There were also people there from Friends of Refugees Ayrshire who were promoting their own benefit concert in January. They actually said that they had limited space so book now to avoid dissapointment. 

Many thanks to everyone who came along and had a great night whilst raising money that will go directly to the destitute asylum seekers we work with. Thanks especially to David McLaughlan and the rest of the BUX!