Close to the centre of Birmingham, Fatima House is a partnership project that offers safe shelter to female asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute and homeless. Up to nine women can be housed at Fatima House.
Women are referred to the project by specialist agencies, including Brushstrokes, St Chad’s Sanctuary, Restore, Migrant Help, Asirt and the British Red Cross. These agencies support the women with their asylum claim and with moving their lives forward.
More than merely a roof over their heads, Fatima House offers a warm welcome to the women who stay there. Mauricio Silva and Nathalie Marytsch, from Columban Missionaries Britain, co-ordinate activities and house meetings for the women, creating a nurturing community and sense of home.
The partner organisations support Fatima House as the project develops by meeting regularly as a management committee and steering group, fundraising, collating donations and managing referrals. Father Hudson’s Care supports the governance, building and financial management of the project and the Columban Missionaries manage the project on a day-to-day basis, making sure the project runs smoothly and the women staying there are well supported. Volunteers, many of whom come from the parish or the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP), offer befriending and support to the women staying there. The SVP also provides destitute Fatima House guests with access to a small weekly allowance. Many other groups, organisations and individuals support the project by providing essential donations of food, clothes, toiletries and household items.
The story of Fatima House
The project came about in 2015, when the Archdiocese was considering how it could respond to the continuing refugee crisis. During this time, it became apparent that a need already existed to support destitute refugees and asylum seekers already living in the Diocese. A Birmingham priest offered a parish building that he felt was too big for his needs. The Diocese decided to use this property to house homeless asylum seekers.
Caritas Archdiocese of Birmingham brought together partner organisations to develop and oversee the project. Father Hudson’s Care researched the work needed to make the building suitable for its new purpose, and the Archdiocese paid for the renovations to be carried out. The Columban Missionaries offered to manage the running of Fatima House on a day-to-day basis, and volunteers from the parish donated items to welcome the first arrivals.
After months of hard work from everyone involved, Fatima House welcomed its first two women in July 2016. By the time the official launch took place in November, it was almost full, with nine women living there who would otherwise have nowhere to turn.
How you can help
Fatima House has an ongoing need for donations of essential items including toiletries, household cleaning products and non-perishable food, especially tinned vegetables. If you would like to make a donation or want to know more about the project, please email fatimahouse@fatherhudsons.org.uk or call Father Hudson’s Care on 01675 434000.
Photographs by Martyn Adams.
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