Charity of the Semester

Every semester, the Campaigns & Charities committee nominate a charity to which all of the QM's fundraising efforts for that term are donated. This semester, the QM will be raising money for Unity:

The Unity Centre at 30 Ibrox Street, Glasgow opened on Saturday 11th March 2006. Very quickly the Centre has grown to play an important and perhaps unique role providing support for asylum seekers in Glasgow.

Run completely by a collective of volunteers and funded entirely by donations from our supporters the Centre provides practical solidarity and support for asylum seekers especially when they face being locked up in detention centres or being forcibly removed. 

Located less than 100 metres from the main entrance of the Home Office’s reporting centre in Glasgow, asylum seekers sign in at the Unity Centre before they report and then call back into the Centre when they have finished reporting and are safe.

Since it has opened over 1200 families have registered with the Unity Centre and Unity has helped over one hundred families return to safety in Glasgow after they have been detained by the Home Office. 

If someone is detained Unity helps to contact their lawyer, friends and family, arrange for their belongings to be looked after, provide emotional support and encouragement, contact the press and media about their case and run emergency campaigns and protests to stop them being forcibly removed.