Morton Hall Detainee Visitors Group
This Group operates as a network of trained volunteer visitors who offer emotional and practical support to detainees who are held at Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre. The Centre is located in a remote part of Lincolnshire and can hold up to 392 male detainees. Many of those who are held are asylum seekers waiting to find out if they will be allowed to stay in the UK or returned to their country of origin. The Visitors Group make regular visits to the Centre, and last year supported 30 individuals with 88 visits.
In October 2017, the Foundation agreed a grant of £5,000 towards increasing the capacity of the Visitors Group. The Group had found that it did not have enough trained volunteers to support the increasing numbers of detainees asking for visits. Funding will contribute towards employing a part-time worker who will recruit and train more volunteer visitors, effectively doubling the numbers of volunteers who are involved. This will enable the charity to support more people detained at the Centre and also raise its profile in the area and gain additional local support.
