PAFRAS (Positive Action for Refugees & Asylum Seekers)

Anything up to 100 men, women and children gather in St Aidan's Church Hall on the Roundhay Road (strictly speaking the door is on Elford Road West between the church and the vicarage, where there is parking).

The actual composition of our client group varies. At present we have a large number of young men from the troubled Middle East: Kurds, Iranians, Iraqis, Palestinians, Egyptians … Others among our regulars are Africans from almost anywhere: Pentecostal Christians from Eritrea where they are persecuted, Somalis, Ethiopians, refugees from DR Congo, many from Zimbabwe and from most countries in West Africa.

All these folk come on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays seeking food and shelter. We offer these, as well as help in accessing the NHS. Solicitors help with liaison with the Home Office. The Red Cross helps to bring families together. There is second hand clothing, creative therapy for women, a knitting circle, Pool, and not least a chance to have a friendly, non-intrusive conversation for those who would like to meet and talk with Brits. Some, because of language problems or trauma, just come and sit. The seriously depressed can find help from a mental health worker who can direct them to professional help and of course since some of these people, men and women, are sleeping rough, PAFRAS has contacts with housing agencies in the public and voluntary sectors.
Much of the running of PAFRAS is done by refugees or asylum seekers themselves, voluntarily of course. The people who come to PAFRAS needed SPUNK to get here at all and are by definition capable and potentially valuable members of society. In addition to them, we have the help of a good number of university students. If they are studying International Development or Sociology this is clearly a very relevant experience. They make a very welcome contribution to the project.

Visitors to PAFRAS may be surprised to find Roma from the Czech Republic helping themselves to second hand clothing but Leeds people are so generous in bringing unwanted clothes that it seems churlish to send anyone away empty handed.
Do visit one Tuesday or Thursday morning 10am to 1pm and remember that under the Welcome table in church there is box for the collection of dry foods and toiletries which would be given as 'food parcels' to those most in need.

Thank you for your contributions, interest and concern.
Pat Hooker

1 January, 2012