Thousands of London’s asylum seekers and refugees will get access to healthcare after a £300,000 charity grant.

Newham-based Doctors of the World UK (DOTW) received the money from City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charity funder.

The money will help DOTW deliver healthcare for the capital’s vulnerable migrants who are excluded from the NHS or not registered with a GP because of their immigration or housing status.

The charity’s Stratford clinic helps over 3,000 people every year access GPs, nurses and NHS support.

Dhruv Patel, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s City Bridge Trust Committee, said:

“Doctors of the World provides fantastic support for the most vulnerable in our society.

“We want to ensure that all Londoners have access to medical care in a safe environment.

“Together we can reach people who have had no access to healthcare and improve their quality of life.”

Peter Gough, GP and volunteer at Doctors of the World UK, said:

“I’ve been volunteering at the clinic for over five years now. Many of the people I’ve seen through the years have suffered from trauma and face many difficulties in their daily lives. Being able to access healthcare and support can be life-changing for them and at our clinic, they have a place where they can open up and discuss their concern.

“Having this funding will help us make a difference for many years to come.”

The City Corporation also works with DOTW to run a mobile GP service delivering healthcare to the Square Mile’s homeless and rough sleepers.

City Bridge Trust is the funding arm of the City of London Corporation’s charity, Bridge House Estates. It is London’s biggest independent grant giver, making grants of £20 million a year to tackle disadvantage across the capital. The Trust has awarded around 8,000 grants totalling over £400 million since it first began in 1995. It helps achieve the City Corporation’s aim of changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of Londoners.

ENDS

Media Enquiries

Kristina Drake

Media Officer, City of London Corporation

Kristina.Drake@cityoflondon.gov.uk

07710860884 / 020 7332 1125

Notes to editors

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK.

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk 

About City Bridge Trust

City Bridge Trust is the funding arm of Bridge House Estates, a Registered Charity, with its primary aim the maintenance and support of five Thames bridges: Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Southwark, Blackfriars and the Millennium footbridge.

City Bridge Trust was established in 1995 to make use of funds surplus to bridge requirements and provides grants totalling around £20m per year towards charitable activity benefitting Greater London. The City of London Corporation is the sole trustee of the Bridge House Estates.