Swindon charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers moves

The new space has been described as an "environment that's deserving of the project's work"

A charity has seen its number of service users treble in two years, prompting a move to a bigger facility.

The Harbour Project in Swindon supports asylum seekers and refugees in rebuilding their lives.

CEO Claire Garrett said 1,500 people were seeking refuge in Swindon, some of whom the project was unable to help in its previous office of 22 years.

She said opening Broadgreen Community Centre was a "very big day for them".

The new venue affords flexibility and the opportunity and space to do "so much more", she said.

"I think wherever you are on the political spectrum you would agree that the asylum system is very broken.

"However, that's not the fault of the individual, it's the fault of the whole asylum process.

"Our role here is to respond to human needs, I'm never going to turn anyone away at the door," Ms Garrett said.

'Like family'

One service user speaking to Radio Wiltshire said the new building was "special, modern and more organised".

The 28-year-old woman originally came to the UK on a student visa from China and started her asylum claim in 2018 when she was pregnant.

After experiencing ongoing domestic violence in the UK, she sought support from the Harbour Project and now regards them "like family", saying she "could not manage without this wonderful team".

"Asylum keeps people away from humanity… but when I come here it changes my mood. [The project] gives us power… [and] a future," she said.

The charity and its supporters officially opened the venue on Tuesday following a £150,000 refurbishment paid for by the charity and South Swindon Parish Council.

Ms Garrett said: "Very often, we are the first friendly face people have met in the UK... we see people come here and visibly relax and people refer to us as their family."

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