Hazel Webb interviews Dave Smith, founder of the Mustard Tree, about his work with asylum seekers & the homeless
When did you start the Mustard Tree?
"31st October 1993, the day after my daughter Jessica was born! It started with a Sunday night soup run into Manchester, reaching out to people sleeping on the streets by providing them with clothes and food."
At that time Dave was working full-time as a teacher, but in the summer of '97 he quit teaching and lived on his £4,000 redundancy pay whilst he recruited volunteers and funding. Dave always trusted God to supply his needs, and as the £4,000 ran out there were enough gifts coming in to support him on a part-time wage. When his workload increased, so did the donations and covenants, which meant he could receive a full-time wage!
NUTTY PREMISES
The Mustard Tree needed premises, and a former peanut packaging unit was found - it still has the signs outside that indicate it's former use! They were able to use two rooms and part of the basement. By October '98 they had attracted enough funding to enable them to expand with office space, a waiting area, large furniture store and a clothes room. They currently employ five full-timers, one part-timer, and two people on a government New Deal scheme (they are paid a minimum wage for a year, and receive a qualification at the end).
Dave, what kind of people do you help?
"Since 1998 we have had 3,500 clients on our books. We're visited by an average of 45 clients per week, of which half will be new clients. Nearly 2,000 of those clients are refugees who come for clothing. They are entitled to 70% Income Support which means they get gas and electricity supplied in emergency accommodation, and vouchers for food and clothing. When these asylum seekers are officially allowed to stay in the UK, their benefit is stopped and they are then entitled to full income support, but in order to receive this benefit they have to be registered as homeless. However, once they are registered they have all other privileges removed. They then have to wait until their new benefit comes through but this can often take a long time especially if papers are lost by solicitors. We once had a homeless Czech family with four children, who had been granted leave to stay in this country, wait four months as homeless before receiving the benefit they were entitled to."
How do you feel about asylum seekers?
"There is a stigma against asylum seekers but they are needy people - the type God loves. People often judge them because they have mobile phones, but how else are they to contact their solicitors? They have to live in the most run-down of places and are often treated as social outcasts; they are, however, people just like you and me, except they have often just escaped from very violent situations back home."
In your opinion, how could the government help?
"Anything can work well if there is the will to make it work well. Often it is not the government's fault, but solicitors, who lose papers, passports and vital pieces of information relating to the asylum seeker's case, which affects their being allowed to stay in the UK or not."
In the north west, Dave has found lawyers and solicitors the worst problem of all. He is not aware of any Christian lawyers specialising in this field up here.
Here is an open invitation to any Christian lawyers reading this article who would be interested in helping the refugees in Manchester. Please contact CPM for further information.
Is there a greater role for the church in this?
Dave smiled, "The church IS the answer - it has the resources and the manpower - if the church stopped looking in and started looking out it would change the world."
How has the Mustard Tree changed over the years?
"It used to be a drop-in centre. We'd hand out leaflets for people to collect clothes and furniture. We now have to have an appointment system because it has grown so large - we had up to fifteen people queuing up in one day for supplies."
The Mustard Tree goes onto the streets of Manchester every Friday night from 8 - 10pm and Sunday night from 6.30 - 8.30pm, providing the homeless with food and clothing. Their main aim is to befriend and listen to people - they don't try to provide shelter, although they will offer advice. People they meet are encouraged to come to the Mustard Tree during the week to get supplies. They will only pray with people if they are ok with that. The Mustard Tree also refers homeless people to the local authority, but generally there aren't enough beds available.
What do you find hardest to deal with?
"Management - meeting people's demands is hard as I have no training or gifting in management."
"Some of the people that come are incredibly needy, but we can't afford to spend the time with them that we would like to."
"Balancing priorities between the needs of my employees, who need to feel they are valued, and my clients, who need to be number one."
How have you seen God at work?
"The 'drip effect.' It is rare that anything is instantaneous - most people we deal with take three steps forward and then two steps back, sometimes four - they are like bruised reeds that need gentle care."
What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?
"Seeing people smile. When somebody smiles who hasn't smiled before, it really warms the heart."
Sometimes Dave has worked with people on the street for six months, and when they smile for the first time he thinks, "God is working here." Changed lives are very rewarding - the changes are never dramatic, but gradual.
What plans do you have for the future?
"We desperately want to see a shelter in Manchester; it's been on the back-burner for years. The resources are available - we started one four years ago but the council stopped it. They don't like to admit there's a homeless problem - as far as they are concerned they provide adequate housing."
They would like to see the council's attitude soften on this point because, in order for a homeless person to benefit from the council's shelters, they need to have at least two forms of valid ID with addresses - which most homeless people don't have!
How do you relax?
"I like gardening. I used to do sporting activities but I have been so busy in this last year I haven't had the time."
Dave has a wife, Sheona, who is a part-time teacher, one daughter, Jessica, who is nine, and a son, Caleb, who is five.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
"I like the Lake District, prefer to B&B, but we go caravanning."
He and his family were part of South Manchester Church but they are now members of a new church plant, Rusholme Family Church, which started in September 2002. Unfortunately, Dave can rarely get to their Sunday evening meetings because of the soup run, but hopefully the meeting time will change. However, the church does meet during the week, and many of the group members are from Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Sierre Leone and other countries. Dave says that they are very strong people to build the church upon. The group also has some Indian nurses.
Dave, do you have any parting thoughts for CPM readers?
"Be bold and run with the vision God has given you, and He will supply all your needs."
What has kept Dave going all this time is that he is convinced that the Mustard Tree is God's idea, so He won't let go of it.
How do you know God won't let go?
"Because God doesn't change his mind, and his heart is for these people."
Dave continues seeking and asking God about the way they should run the Mustard Tree, but it is knowing that God will accomplish the vision that keeps him going.
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