I read with interest the article about the closure of Napier barracks (Mass asylum seeker accommodation at Napier barracks to close, 19 March).
I heartily agree that the barracks is far from ideal for the housing of vulnerable people, but nowhere did I read of the huge input that has been made by a group of volunteers and staff, both on and off site, trying to make life just a little less anxious and a little more bearable for the residents.
Since 2020, local volunteers have run English classes, discussion groups and integration courses, taken groups of residents out volunteering for local conservation and community projects, and run cookery classes sharing interesting, varied cuisines and producing well-attended community meals cooked by the residents. The list goes on.
I would hate to think that, after nearly five years of committed input, the idea of people left despairing in an inadequate and dilapidated Napier barracks is uppermost. From all the positive comments made by residents – many of whom still keep in touch – I finish with a quote that says it all: “We cry when we come to Napier but we cry when we leave.”
Mary MacEwen
Hythe, Kent
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