Britannia Hotel in Northenden Credit: MEN SYNDICATION
Home Office contractor Serco has urgently overhauled its donation policy at the Britannia Hotel - after a generous man who tried to give clothes to asylum seekers was turned away.
Rob Lupton went to the Northenden hotel earlier this month to find out how to donate clothing or other items the men might need.
But he was told by three members of Serco staff that he could not do so.
They then directed him to the Red Cross - who told him Serco had not so far allowed them to work directly with the asylum seekers either.
Rob, 38, had gone to the hotel after reading that 300 asylum seekers had been placed there last month.
He said:
Rob then contacted the Manchester Evening News to see how he could donate directly - and Serco then gave a different response, saying it would now work ‘very quickly’ with local residents to accept any donations.
Jenni Halliday, Serco’s Contract Director for Compass, said:
Rob Arnold, senior service manager for Refugee Services at the British Red Cross office in Trafford, confirmed the charity is not ‘currently working directly’ with asylum seekers at the hotel.
But he stressed the help was there should Serco want it.
