Raphael Gonsalves SJ from Guyana is
studying Art and Design (Media) at the
London College of Communication; but
he is residing with the Jesuit
Community at St Ignatius, Stamford Hill.
Here he has found a very active and
vital programme of initiatives that
directly help those in need in the area.
The social outreach office of St Ignatius Church, Stamford Hill, is parish-based; in other words, it is accountable to the parish council and parish team. Its tasks include providing support for families, providing advice on welfare benefits, providing information, help and pastoral care for the sick, the housebound and the homeless, and for immigrants and asylum seekers.
At the beginning of the academic year in September 2006, Godfrey Veersammy (a Scholastic from Guyana) and Father James Conway were given the responsibility of the outreach office. Their primary task is to develop the outreach work of the parish, which includes identifying people who might need social or pastoral assistance.
The social outreach office in the parish was started about eight years ago by Michael O'Driscoll, and shortly after he was joined by Sister Winifred Lusk. Both of them belonged to the parish. Michael's full time job was as an advice worker, working particularly with people on benefits, or with housing problems. He was very keen to begin an outreach centre from the church that would specialise in giving advice among those who were homeless or had problems with the housing authorities.
Today, however, most of the people who come to the office tend to be migrants, many of them asylum seekers and more recently persons who can be referred to as “irregular migrants” or “undocumented migrants”, thus making the 'migrants apostolate' a priority. The processes involved can be a bit complicated as often the solutions vary, mostly depending on what part of the world the migrants come from.
These irregular migrants would come with questions about their immigration status, as well as questions about how they can access systems such as the health service and the social security system. Sadly they have to be told that they cannot really access national services very much, basically because they are not entitled to any benefits or any form of help or service.
Jim Conway and Godfrey Veersammy at St Ignatius
How do Godfrey and Jim help? Firstly, by listening to their stories, and then by trying to find other agencies or the relevant personnel that deal particularly with this group of people and these kinds of problems; agencies that have set up some form of social support for undocumented migrants. There are only a few of these agencies in London.
Part of the job at the outreach office includes identifying some of those agencies. Godfrey and Jim do this in particular because they are both aware that there are many other things that one can do to try to help in this field, instead of targeting one's energy on something specific. Agencies that they have looked at include Praxis, which set up a full-time outreach service for anybody who might fall under the category of “displaced”. Praxis offers health services, advice networks for immigration lawyers and they offer English classes. The Catholic Workers Movement has set up a house with three permanent members; a priest and two lay volunteers. They have three other bedrooms which they keep available for destitute asylum seekers or migrants who might need urgent accommodation. And CANDL (Church and Neighbourhood Development in London) is another outreach agency, but one that works primarily with young migrants.
The feeling is that St Ignatius Church could follow these three agencies and perhaps set up similar services.
The social outreach office of St Ignatius Church, Stamford Hill, is parish-based; in other words, it is accountable to the parish council and parish team. Its tasks include providing support for families, providing advice on welfare benefits, providing information, help and pastoral care for the sick, the housebound and the homeless, and for immigrants and asylum seekers.
At the beginning of the academic year in September 2006, Godfrey Veersammy (a Scholastic from Guyana) and Father James Conway were given the responsibility of the outreach office. Their primary task is to develop the outreach work of the parish, which includes identifying people who might need social or pastoral assistance.
The social outreach office in the parish was started about eight years ago by Michael O'Driscoll, and shortly after he was joined by Sister Winifred Lusk. Both of them belonged to the parish. Michael's full time job was as an advice worker, working particularly with people on benefits, or with housing problems. He was very keen to begin an outreach centre from the church that would specialise in giving advice among those who were homeless or had problems with the housing authorities.
Today, however, most of the people who come to the office tend to be migrants, many of them asylum seekers and more recently persons who can be referred to as “irregular migrants” or “undocumented migrants”, thus making the 'migrants apostolate' a priority. The processes involved can be a bit complicated as often the solutions vary, mostly depending on what part of the world the migrants come from.
These irregular migrants would come with questions about their immigration status, as well as questions about how they can access systems such as the health service and the social security system. Sadly they have to be told that they cannot really access national services very much, basically because they are not entitled to any benefits or any form of help or service.
How do Godfrey and Jim help? Firstly, by listening to their stories, and then by trying to find other agencies or the relevant personnel that deal particularly with this group of people and these kinds of problems; agencies that have set up some form of social support for undocumented migrants. There are only a few of these agencies in London.
Part of the job at the outreach office includes identifying some of those agencies. Godfrey and Jim do this in particular because they are both aware that there are many other things that one can do to try to help in this field, instead of targeting one's energy on something specific. Agencies that they have looked at include Praxis, which set up a full-time outreach service for anybody who might fall under the category of “displaced”. Praxis offers health services, advice networks for immigration lawyers and they offer English classes. The Catholic Workers Movement has set up a house with three permanent members; a priest and two lay volunteers. They have three other bedrooms which they keep available for destitute asylum seekers or migrants who might need urgent accommodation. And CANDL (Church and Neighbourhood Development in London) is another outreach agency, but one that works primarily with young migrants.
The feeling is that St Ignatius Church could follow these three agencies and perhaps set up similar services.