Latest news and updates
The news links in yesterday's email did not display correctly. This is the corrected version. I have put the links below for you, thanks to Craig, Janet and others for pointing this out, while we sort out the glitches.
There was difficult news yesterday for recognised refugees from Gaza trying to get their loved ones out. Families who have the legal right to be reunited, annd just need to get their biometrics done in Jordan or Cairo, are being blocked from leaving. The latest High Court judgement released yesterday indicates the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary have to individually decide if dependents of refugees in the UK can be evacuated. But they are not compelled to evacuate. We will keep pushing back.
The other article is, Refugees did not create the housing emergency, but a dangerous narrative is taking hold regardless, which Social Landlords will find relevant. Let's talk about it, we are happy to talk about why social landlords must challenge, and not support, racist or prejudiced assumptions amongst tenants and potential tenants. The movement as a whole also has to become fit for purpose and make change from the top down in terms of ethnic diversity, that means in the boards and senior management. We should talk.
For refugee service users, we are putting together a guide to making a smooth transition from seeking asylum to life as a refugee. Watch this space.
As a frontline charity supporting people from refugee and migrant communities facing homelessness, poverty and crisis, we are experiencing funding cuts, like others. This will mean a further reduction in staff and tighter control of overheads.
We continue to deliver our Emergency Relief Fund, Room for Refugees Network, housing and homelessness casework and housing options advice service, welfare rights support, visa assistance and energy support work. We receive between 60 and 90 new referrals each week. We directly support refugee families to secure safe housing and meet food and energy costs. Many people seeking asylum are living on as little as £10 per week.
We are recruiting more volunteers to support new refugees to open bank accounts, as barriers often arise when someone's status changes. Each year we support more than 4,000 families and individuals. Our members, Registered Social Landlords, trade unions, charitable trusts and individual supporters continue to stand behind our humanitarian work.
If you are a non-profit, Registered Social Landlord, community organisation or trade union and would like to place an advert, email home@positiveactionh.org for details. The cost is £250 (zero VAT) per advert. Adverts are free for organisational members.
From 2026/27, we will mainly deliver training in-house. If your RSL or non-profit is looking for bite-sized or full-day courses on the rights of refugees and migrants, anti-racism, or equality and diversity, contact us to discuss your requirements.
We need volunteers in our Glasgow office and volunteer hosts across Scotland and UK wide, but especially, in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perthshire, London and Brighton. So if you can help please get in touch by filling in the form.
If you or someone you know needs help or advice with housing, and live in Glasgow or elsewhere in Scotland, fill in this form and our casework team will look into your request.
To sustain our frontline services during these cuts, if you do not currently donate, could you consider making a regular contribution of £5 per month, or another amount, to help us continue supporting vulnerable families in Glasgow and across Scotland?
To donate to our humanitarian work as we help people from refugee and migrant backgrounds to challenge food and energy insecurity, homelessness and destitution, give a regular donation of however much you can afford. We only ask when we need it and your support is very much needed as charities face funding cuts.
This newsletter brings together all our latest news, jobs and events. And a bit more. We circulate to a large, socially conscious network of people across civil society, university campuses, non profits, politicians and press, and to those with an interest in our work. This list is Scotland and UK wide , with audiences in the US and Europe too.
Finally, let us know what you think of our content, it helps us shape this newsletter. I aim to keep these communications real so you get a sense of what we do. You will receive an update when there is something new to share.
On behalf of all of us, have a good weekend.
Robina Qureshi
Positive Action in Housing
NB You wont find us on Twitter or Facebook anymore, it just is not a welcoming or supportive place for causes like ours, hence this newsletter. We are experimenting with Bluesky and Substack so check out those platforms - and our website. Also if you know of any qualified accountants who understand charity accounts and don't mind volunteering a little time, drop us a line. |
