A charity that supports thousands of refugees and asylum seekers in Bristol says it faces closure unless it finds a new base soon.
Aid Box Community, founded in the city in 2015, has been searching for a headquarters for two years and must secure one in the coming months. It also needs to find somewhere from which to operate its popular Refutree fundraiser for 2024.
The lease on its current premises in Cheltenham Road, close to Montpelier High School, where the charity has been for five years, is coming to an end and it is seeking somewhere new for its free shop and meeting place. It needs a larger base as demand for its services has increased.
A spokesperson said: “Three thousand of Bristol’s most vulnerable people are at risk of losing a lifeline. Our search has become exceptionally urgent, with the charity facing closure in six months unless we find a new home.
“We are a well-known, much-loved and trusted charity which brings communities together, spreading love and hope. We really need your help.”
The charity says it has been turned down by several private rental properties, sometimes being deemed “not the right fit” and has been unsuccessful in attempts to secure the use of an empty church and a council property.
his is despite the fact that it is in a strong financial position having secured three-year funding for rent from the national lotteries.
The charity is looking for a building of at least 3,000 sq ft, with drop-off space for donations, access front and back and ideally a shop front. It needs to be fairly central, but outside the Clean Air Zone.
For Refutrees, Aid Box Community would need an empty shop or similar with inside and outside space.
The charity is keen to hear from anyone who can help and is also urging people to send letters of support to imogen@aidboxcommunity.co.uk.
Aid Box Community was founded by Imogen Mcintosh who had seen the image of young refugee Alan Kurdi’s body washed up on the Mediterranean shore. Imogen sought donations from friends and family to take to the French refugee camps and received an overwhelming response from the Bristol public.
Soon afterwards, a group of 30 volunteers was formed called Aid Box Convoy. They took 350 Aid Boxes, hundreds of tents, sleeping bags, food boxes and building materials to Dunkirk. The group continued to coordinate volunteers and donations on the camp for a year.
In April 2016, after witnessing the poverty, isolation and trauma that many people were experiencing once they had reached the UK, Aid Box Convoy became Aid Box Community (ABC), a free shop and welcome hub in Bristol. Today, ABC provides support, supplies and sanctuary to thousands of refugees and asylum seekers in Bristol.
People from more than 80 countries have used the ABC services. In the year to March 2024, the charity welcomed 3703 people and saw nearly 200,000 donated items recycled and re-homed through the shop.
To find out more, visit: https://www.aidboxcommunity.co.uk