Chichester Park Hotel & Leave To Remain Coordinator Hannah Lytton is doing an incredible job managing all the support at the asylum hotel whilst also continuing to maintain support in the community whilst we recruit a new Refugee Support Coordinator to fill Hannah’s previous position.

The asylum support clinic at the hotel, staffed by expert volunteers, is as busy as ever, and English language classes are ongoing, among a huge array of other activities.

Coming up to Christmas, we are working with Alliance for Better Care, Rotary Chichester Harbour and other partners to provide Christmas gifts to children at the hotel and in the community – quite a complex task to manage! Many thanks as ever to Rotary Chichester Harbour Community Chair Therese Brook and her team of volunteers for all their work every year, providing Christmas presents to children who would otherwise not recieve any, right across the Chichester area. It makes such a difference to the lives of children as well as to their parents.

The Asylum Support Group is strengthening its case management processes to ensure timely support for individuals granted leave to remain, who must leave Home Office accommodation within 28 days. The group also has upcoming training on how we can most effectively uphold individuals’ rights to a fair hearing, particularly as access to professional legal advice and advocacy becomes increasingly limited.

Meanwhile, Hannah and Pathways to Independence Manager Kerry Foster, delivered a volunteer training session in October with a focus on safeguarding, that was very well-received.