The FODI Drop-In acts as the hub of our community and provides suport. I is run every Wednesday from 12 – 3pm at St Mary’s Parish Hall, 28- 29 Bridge st, Sunderland, SR1 1TQ. Please contact us before dropping in.
Facilities
The Drop- In provides a safe and friendly environment for asylum seekers and refugees to:
- Chat over a cup of tea, socialise, make friends and play games including pool, table tennis and dominoes
- Have access to the internet for email, skype and other essentials
- Register for tickets to see Sunderland AFC ( when available)
- Register for our free gym/swim scheme and find out about other sporting opportunities
- Learn about free English classes run by Action Language and Chris Howson at the Interfaith Centre
- Get free haircuts from barbering students at Sunderland College
- Register for free trips to places of local interest
- Receive donated clothes, food, toiletries etc (when available)
- Get a hot meal cooked by our members every 2 weeks in the winter months and snacks & fruit all year round
- Register for a donated bicycle (when available)
Support
The Drop- In is also attended and supported by many other partner agencies, so asylum-seekers and refugees can access:
- Legal advice from Newcastle Law Centre and Brar & Co.
- Advice on health and well-being from the ‘Live Life Well’ team and stop smoking from ICOS
- The British Red Cross who help some people with their cases and operate a tracing service for those who have lost touch with their families
- The Tyne and Wear Fire service for advice on fire prevention
- Help in contacting housing services and be referred to supported housing through Action Foundation
- Support from FODI volunteers to help resolve some of the day-to-day problems experienced by asylum seekers and refugees
- Advice from the community engagement officer at Northumbria Police
- Advice from MESMAC in Newcastle, which supports our LGBT members