Lady 1 is in her 60s and was returning to Northampton to re-settle after an absence of a few years. She had not eaten properly for almost 2 weeks and was desperately looking for a job. She was in a bad way mentally because of her living situation.
She approached a healthcare agency in the building where our offices are and was signposted to our office, where we gave her food and the chance to have a rest. As she was known to some members of the community as a credible person, a member of staff provided her with accommodation in her home for a period of 3 months, during which time she began working on a part time basis and eventually moved into a room in a shared house. She was so grateful for the support she got from our charity with not only accommodation, but also food, befriending and volunteering activities. She stated a few months ago that without UAA she would not be alive. She is currently studying at college with the aim of becoming a learning support assistant in a school.
Lady 2, B is in her 60s and came to us 4 years ago after being violently beaten by her then partner who threw her out. She was afraid to seek medical treatment because of her undocumented status, fearing going to hospital would ultimately lead to deportation. She had lived with her partner for 10 years and during that period she made a few applications for leave to remain based on private life, however he would sabotage her application by requesting his passport bank during the application process, which meant cancellation of the application. She had been earning some money babysitting some friends children but taking all her earnings, even though she had hoped to use her monies to send funds to her children and grandchildren in Africa. He used to isolate her from friends so she never formed solid friendships. During their relationship he used to verbally insult her. Additionally, she had blood pressure but was not treated for it as she did not have a GP.
He had secretly applied for his wife to come over and when she was granted her visa is when he beat B up and threw her out, she was then referred to us by a councillor. She stayed with a mum and her young child for a few weeks but complained she was being exploited.
Soon after she came to us we helped her get registered with a GP, as she had high blood pressure for which she had not been getting treatment and was also diagnosed with arthritis. She started getting treatment for that and we also helped her start applying for leave to remain through Red Cross’; immigration service. We supported her with food parcels and non food essentials and she became a very active volunteer with our charity. By that time, she had been in UK for 20 years. She lived with a member of staff rent free for 18 months before getting referred to Red Cross to assist with accommodation. With the cost of living, it was very expensive to house her and a paying lodger was needed. Fortunately, in April 2024 the Red Cross managed to secure her Home Office accommodation in Birmingham and in months ago she finally got her leave to remain granted.
She is very grateful for the support we have provided and she hopes that once she gets her national insurance she can return to Northampton, get a job and continue her involvement with our charity.
Lady 3, M is in her 60s and has some health issues, she has been rough sleeping for over a year and it has taken a toll on her health. She often goes into hospital and GP as a result of the ongoing health issues. She has been helped by another homeless charity with accommodation last winter and continues to be supported with food and other necessities, however this winter she has been sleeping rough, although she gets support with occasional accommodation from time to time,particularly if it’s very cold. The rough sleeping has taken a toll on her mental health too and obviously she doesn’t open up to people. We are assisting her with other issues and hope to be able to support her with accommodation.
T is a middle aged man who struggles with reading and writing English. As a result of his lack of literacy skills he has struggled to find a job as he needs help with filling in job applications. As a result of lack of work he ended up rough sleeping, in shop and church doorways.
He was referred to us by word of mouth. One of our volunteers as well as a member of staff accompanied him to various employment agencies in Northampton, registering him with several. His limited literacy skills were a barrier to many jobs as several jobs required a person’s ability to read. After a few weeks and with accompanying to jobs he and another volunteer were able to secure seasonal work with Royal Mail.
During this time he was housed by a member of his church so was able to meet some rent payments, however his mother passed away so he had to fly back to Africa to attend to her and his sick wife who is seriously ill. He returned to UK a few weeks ago, has been seeking work and is currently living with a distant relative although they are pressuring him to leave the family home as it is very cramped.
We are working to try and help him get a job and have accompanied him to the job centre and employment agencies. We are hopeful that he will find a job very soon, however in the meantime should he be evicted from his current residence we hope that funds raised through our efforts will cover his living expenses for a couple of weeks until he is able to get back on his feet.
OG is a typical example of the person we would support. She was an out of work healthcare worker who had been looking for a new sponsor as the sponsor did not have any hours for her to work. As a result of being enable to pay for rent she resorted to rough sleeping. She was found by one of our beneficiaries who brought her to us. We started providing her with food parcels and non food essentials and provided her with accommodation for 2 months.
During this time, we helped her with improving her CV, provided interview skills through a West Northamptonshire Council funded project and helped connect her to potential employers through our networks. She secured a job with a new sponsor in December 2024 and is very grateful to our charity.
It is people like OG that make up the bulk of the people approaching us with homelessness issues. We have had referrals from adult social services about people due to be discharged from mental health hospitals who find themselves without accommodation following a medium to long term hospital stay during which time they were not earning and not being eligible for public funds have no income for accommodation or other essential living expenses.
Some people resort to eating disposed food from waste bins, sleeping in parks and doorways. Organisations such as ours try our best to help but as a small charity we have limited resources which is why we have decided to create a fundraising project. We anticipate that the majority of people will only require our support for up to 4 months. All monies raised will go towards direct support for homeless people, paying rental costs.
United African Association Hosts Fundraiser to Support Northampton’s Homeless Community
What an amazing event our Africa day celebrations we had on Saturday the 25th of May, 2024. So many people attended and we were delighted to invite the new Mayor of Northampton to his first event as mayor.
We had Malawians, Kenyans, Ugandans, Zimbabweans, Namibians, Ghanaians and Nigerians performing cultural dances and songs, as well as drumming from our own African Drumming group. So many special guests.
This was our biggest ever event. We are grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and Northamptonshire Community Foundation for providing grant funding which enabled the event to take place.
Thanks also to Weston Favell Tesco, Northamptonshire Police, Raj's Beauty Salon & @laurencemotivational_official for raffle prize donations.
United African Association Hosts Fundraiser to Support Northampton’s Homeless Community
Northampton, UK – The United African Association (UAA) is rallying the community to address homelessness with a vibrant fundraising event on Saturday, 29th March 2025, at the Castle Hill United Reformed Church, Doddridge Street, NN12RN in Northampton. The initiative aims to provide critical support to individuals experiencing homelessness who have No Recourse to Public Funds, while fostering unity through cultural celebration.
The event, themed “Together for Dignity, Together for Hope”, will blend fundraising activities with family-friendly entertainment, including live African music, dance performances, and a marketplace showcasing handmade crafts and traditional cuisine. Attendees can enjoy dishes from Ghana, with proceeds directly funding emergency shelter access, hot meals, hygiene kits, and outreach programs.
A Call to Compassion
“Homelessness is not just a statistic—it’s a reality for many in our community,” said UAA Chairperson Anne Wankiiri. “This event is about extending dignity and practical support while celebrating the strength of diversity. Every contribution, big or small, helps rebuild lives.”
Local councillors who will attend the event, praised the UAA’s efforts: “Initiatives like this remind us that compassion knows no borders. Northampton thrives when we come together to uplift our most vulnerable neighbours.”
How to Get Involved
– Attend: The free event runs from 18:00 to 21:00. All are welcome.
Shelter UK’s 2023 report estimated 1 in 206people in West Northamptonshire were homeless (including those in temporary accommodation). The UAA’s fundraiser highlights the power of community-driven solutions, blending cultural pride with social action.
Final Note
“No one should face the night alone,” Anne W. added. “Join us on 29th March—let’s turn hope into action.”
For details, contact the UAA at info@uaassociation.org or visit our social media pages.
1: PLEASE TELL US HOW YOU CAME TO KNOW ABOUT UAA On tenth month of 2023 I was sited in a charity organisation for the homeless when a volunteer and a friend for the charity approached me on the bench. She politely intervened to share a form of help because I did look in despair. She introduced me to get to know UAA after small chat. A day later I did put efforts to explore more and finally knew UAA as another nearby charity organisation in the community that offer support to those in need.
2: PLEASE TELL US BRIEFLY ABOUT YOUR SITUATION BEFORE YOU CAME TO UAA. A month and half before October of 2023 I was already in devastating, dangerous and isolating situation before I knew or came to UAA. I’d been in pursuit for any assistance I could get for the reasons I lacked a secure place to live, food and other personal needs. I faced the difficulties back then before I came to know UAA for I was facing homelessness.
3: PLEASE TELL US HOW LONG YOU’VE BEEN SUPPORTED BY OR PARTICIPATING WITH UAA Being around UAA as needful person for some time and throughout I have realised that sense of family and friendliness through their support I have gained in the period. On my hand, I have assisted the community through UAA in the small ways I am capable of. I have been with UAA in supporting the community in well being through physical exercise. We’ve been together in support for now nearly eight months.
4: PLEASE TELL US HOW UAA HELPED YOU WITH YOUR SITUATION (WHAT UAA DID OR IS DOING FOR YOU) UAA has partly assisted me in ways which I’m grateful for. I have had access to their meals for survival and also being in their welcoming warm space where I be productive and learn anything .UAA has been providing mental health counselling services and group online on weekly basis where I could join in whenever felt I needed assistance .I have had some cloth donations from UAA over the past winter season, I was involved in few of their charitable community events along the year and some supported journeys out of town in the time have been with them. I remember a one-time escapade with community to Cambridge town for museum visits, also a visit to six fields stadium for games watching, journey to Milton Keynes for exposure all courtesy of UAA charity. Finally, through getting myself involved to helping with community well being through UAA and in return I have also received micro-funding for small needs to keep me going.
5: PLEASE GIVE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND THE SUPPORT ANN, MUCHIE, PEDRO, TRISH (UAA ADMINISTRATORS) They are all such kind hearts and important people in the community. They’ve been all my long time leaders and helpers working in the UAA organisation that I have been looking up to for any support, assistance and also learning from them. They have been there to oversee my concerns and also in terms of the type of support I have received is that they are willing to do anything to help out. They have done their best parts in contributing to my situation in whatever efforts of which I am forever grateful. May they be blessed.
My name is JCM and I came to the UK after selling my residential stand to raise money for a Certificate of Sponsorship. I am a single mother of 2 who was struggling to make ends meet in Zimbabwe therefore when the opportunity to come to the UK presented itself, I decided to sell the only asset I had to raise the money. Unfortunately, on arrival to the UK I discovered that the company that had sponsored me was struggling to provide employment to its candidates. Just after New Year, I received an email from my sponsor advising that their sponsor licence had been suspended and eventually was revoked. I felt like a total failure and overnight I was destitute. A well-wisher provided me with accommodation for 1 month and because the sponsor advised me on arrival that they could not provide accommodation for me and at the same time could not provide employment as initially promised. I was now in a situation where I could not contribute towards rent, food, or toiletries and felt like a burden to the people providing accommodation for me. I felt alone and terrified. Talking to fellow Zimbabweans about my predicament, I was made aware of United African Association and the support they are giving to people in the same situation that I am. I contacted UAA around Christmas time and at this stage, I was contemplating giving up and going back to Zimbabwe, a failure. In the quest to secure another sponsor, I was referred to someone who had advertised for carers. I started working 12hrs a day, 7 days a week with an understanding that I was going to be offered a switch. However, at the end of I was told that the service user was only paying £800 per therefore 2 staff doing long days and working nights were going to share £500 between us. This meant, instead of getting paid 84 hrs per week x £11 giving £924, we were paid £250 per week. My well-wishers said this was similar to modern day slavery and I resigned When I contacted UAA, the person who answered my call sounded very friendly and reassured me promising that I had called the right people to help me with situation. Because I was living with well-wishers, UAA managed to place me with another well-wisher in Northampton and they have been providing us with food parcels every Saturday. I have stayed with Northampton well-wisher for 9 months. I was shocked to find that I could get food parcels that comprises of ingredients that meet my normal diet, all for free. I started volunteering at the Food Bank and soon realised that I was not the only one in the same situation. Talking to people in the same situation gave me hope and reassurance that I was not alone. I also started attending the Monday online Mental Health sessions where different topics that affect foreigners like me are discussed. These sessions have been really helpful because I was getting depressed and I began to feel that there is light at the end of the tunnel. UAA has been signposting me to different alternative sponsors and job adverts. I feel so indebted to UAA as a whole, because without them, I would have suffered a total breakdown. I am also proud to say that I have found a new sponsor, and they are currently processing my visa.
