We Can...
- ... offer friendship, support and encouragement for you.
- ... offer a sympathetic ear and some good general ideas based on shared experiences.
- ... signpost you to information and useful resources.
- ... help you connect with other LGBT asylum seekers in Manchester.
- ... suggest various places where you can receive support.
- ... tell you of good solicitors and caseworkers, and where you can get good asylum support and housing advice.
- ... help you understand the issues around public campaigns if your case reaches the point where such a campaign becomes an option.
We Can't...
- ... offer you any legal advice or undertake any formal casework regarding your claim. We are not immigration advisers. Our support work is limited to signposting, incuding directing you to a regulated immigration adviser, and the provision of general information and resources on the immigration and asylum systems.
- ... represent you in the courts.
- ... make the Home Office reach a decision more quickly on your case.
- ... write supportive statements about you until we know you well.
- ... help you get to the United Kingdom!
To explore the services and opportunities offered by other groups and organisations, check out our Links page.
Coming Events
Next Monthly Meeting
The next meeting of the group will be on Wednesday 7th November 2018, from 3.30pm until 6.15pm, at the LGBT Foundation.
Theme: This will be a drop-in session with no formal presentations. Please come whenever you wish, for as long as you wish. However, we are not able to pay a contribution towards travel costs at the drop-in sessions.
Meetings
Meetings of the First Wednesday group take place at the LGBT Foundation from 3.30pm to 6.15pm on the first Wednesday of each month. From 2017, the monthly meetings will alternate between Full Meetings and Drop-In sessions - see Home page for full details.
The LGBT Foundation is located within the Gay Village in Manchester city centre at Number 5, Richmond Street, Manchester M1 3HF. There is a map towards the bottom of this page on their website.
We try to make being part of the group as cost-free as possible for asylum seekers, and so we aim to provide basic travel expenses to cover the cheapest possible ticket which will enable an asylum seeker to attend the Full Meetings of the group which take place in alternate months. These expenses are always subject to the limits on the budgets within which the group has to function, and may be affected by the number of people attending our meetings. Additionally, in the case of extended journeys, especially those from outside Greater Manchester, we may only be able to offer a contribution towards travel costs rather than full reimbursement. Note: we are not able to provide travel expenses for the Drop-In sessions.