Lewisham Churches for Asylum Seekers is an ecumenical group which was set up to give practical assistance to refugees and asylum seekers who find themselves without any means of support from the state.

LewCAS works in close co-operation with the Lewisham Refugee Network and the Asylum Seekers Team from Lewisham Council Social Services. Its activities include:

1	Providing food and essential household supplies

2	Organising clothing, bedding and household equipment and furniture

3	Arranging travel vouchers to enable refugees and asylum seekers to attend Lewisham College for courses in English

4	Helping to fund a summer outing for clients from the Lewisham Refugee Network

5	Funding the purchase of small gifts for children of asylum seekers at Christmas

6	Campaigning for sympathetic treatment of asylum seekers locally

St. Mary�s has been able to help in this by:

1	Weekly collection of non-perishable foods and toiletry items (in the yellow box at the back of the church)

2	Donation of annual harvest festival gifts, including those which we fetch from the parish of St. Mary in Goudhurst, Kent

3	Holding musical concerts in the church

4	Occasional money collections in church

If you would like to help or would like further information please contact stella.jeffrey@tiscali.co.uk