Welcoming Refugees and Asylum Seekers to our Community Food Projects

Lewisham Local Card Team
4 days ago
3 min read

A blog post sharing learning and resources from our recent Food Giving Network meeting in the run up to Refugee Week 2025

*Feed The Hill Social Supermarket in Newcross*

As part of Lewisham’s Food Giving Network meetings, Good Food Lewisham, a project of Lewisham Local, organised a session for community food projects in Lewisham on how to make our food projects welcoming spaces for refugees and asylum seekers on June 5th 2025. This was organised in the run up and to prepare for Refugee Week 2025 (June 16th-22nd 2025).

We were joined by the Borough of Sanctuary Lead at Lewisham Council and AFRIL’s foodbank team along with representatives from different food aid and food growing groups including Lewisham's Sanctuary Ambassadors.

Speakers and participants provided useful feedback on the experiences and challenges of sanctuary seekers when trying to access community food support.

Issues that were mentioned within the meeting:

· Some food provided at foodbanks and social supermarkets might be unfamiliar to members. Where projects can’t provide food that is reflective of the cultural preferences of their members, providing a ‘swap’ or 'returns' table alongside support for recipes and cooking advice would be welcomed

· Some sanctuary seekers carry a lot of fear of being reported to the home office or police. It’s important to communicate that our projects are independent of these services, and that we can provide safety and confidentiality (unless someone’s life in danger)

· Make it clear what support is available and how to access – they have a right to request food support, some people might feel ashamed to ask so make it clear how people can request support

· As projects it’s helpful to understand people’s entitlements but we can’t give immigration advice- signpost to AFRIL or similar services for specialist advice

· Not everyone will have access to phones, laptops, internet

Practical things we can do as community food projects shared by AFRIL

· Make referrals accessible – easy to understand in plain English, better not to ask for proof of ID as not everyone has this

· Consider people with No Resource to Public Funds (NRPF) are likely to need longer-term, ongoing support

· Reach out to promote services in different communities and promote in different languages

· Safety is key. Explain Lewisham is a Borough of Sanctuary, you don’t work for the local authority, police or home office

· Be sensitive around how we ask about people’s status and visas- only ask what’s necessary to do so

· Avoid giving promises that things will be okay but emphasize that it must be very difficult

· Offer to pay travel expenses to get to and from the foodbank

· Where possible provide cash-first solutions such as giving supermarket voucher – these provide more choice and dignity. AFRIL is happy to share their model with other groups

· Get feedback on what’s provided to tailor service accordingly

· Only give immigration advice if you are qualified to, no your limits

Below are the two presentations with further details which include key information and tips on how community food projects can be places of sanctuary for sanctuary seekers.

Lewisham's Borough of Sanctuary

AFRIL's Presentation

Calls to Action – for groups

The session end with the Borough of Sanctuary Lead sharing some simple actions we could take as a Food Giving Network (and beyond).

1.Familiarise yourself with good practice in working with sanctuary seekers - Guidance for organisations

2.Familiarise yourself with the Welcome to Lewisham leaflets and have them on display

3.Take the Sanctuary Pledge –pledge your support to Lewisham Borough of Sanctuary and commit to concrete actions

4.Consider becoming accredited as a place of sanctuary Sanctuary Awards - City of Sanctuary UK. Please speak to katya.griffin@lewisham.gov.uk if you would like to become a place of sanctuary.

5. Share the Magpie Project's live survey to understand the experience of people living in temporary accommodation in hotels Share your experience of living without a kitchen – The Magpie Project

Calls to action - for residents

1. Support AFRIL’s fundraising campaign: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS000002JjEnYAK

2. Attend and support Refugee Week activities taking place in Lewisham – many of which are food related: Lewisham Council - Refugee Week

3. Pledge your support - Lewisham Borough of Sanctuary as an individual

If you are part of a food giving or grow group in Lewisham, you can join our monthly online meet up here

If you are a resident, please come along to our upcoming quarterly network meeting, details via our Eventbrite: Good Food Lewisham by Lewisham Local | Eventbrite