Peterborough HELP charity's urgent appeal for warm clothing for asylum seekers during winter freeze
Shortage of coats, shoes, socks and underwear
An urgent appeal has gone out from a Peterborough charity for warm clothing for asylum seekers arriving in the city during a winter freeze.
The call comes from the HELP (Helping Empower Lives in Peterborough) charity, based in Broadway, which says it desperately needs donations of good condition and clean coats, shoes underwear, socks, scarves, hats and gloves for men who have been moved in to the Dragonfly Hotel, in Thorpe Meadows.
Charity manager Rania Ali said: “We have been very busy yesterday and today.
"These men have arrived wearing flip flops and desperately need warm clothing as it is so very cold.
She said: “We would welcome donations from the public of men’s shoes, coats, socks, underwear, jumpers, scarves, gloves and hats.
"But we do ask please that the donations are clean and in good condition.
She said: "These are the essential things especially as it has become so cold over the last few days.”
Rania said the men had arrived in Peterborough wearing flip flops and without coats. Language is also a problem with the men speaking Arabic.
Their arrival coincides with a sudden dip in temperatures as a winter freeze starts to take hold across the UK.
Rania said: “We haven’t stopped over the last couple of days and everything we had has now gone.”
The charity also welcomes donations of bicycles.
Rania said: “We’d welcome donations of bicycles to help people get around.
"The men don’t have money and the city centre is a long way from the hotel.”
The decision by the Home Office to move up to 146 asylum seekers to the Dragonfly Hotel was revealed on November 14.
Since then action has also been taken to care for the health of the new arrivals.
A spokesperson for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System said: “Arrangements are in place to help the people currently based at the Dragonfly Hotel get the immediate GP care they need, with a healthcare professional visiting the site regularly.
“We have a duty to provide safe and appropriate NHS care and are working with NHS colleagues as well as other partners to put in place arrangements for those who recently arrived at the Dragonfly Hotel.”