The Magpie Project

We believe all children have the right to a secure, safe place to play, healthy food, engaged, informed parents, and access to support, no matter what their family circumstances

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Hundreds of children are going without any home cooked meals as they live in hotels with just a kettle. We want to make sure that all homes for families have kitchens as standard. (shocking that this even needs saying). Will you help?

Magpie Project Rights, Experience advocacy Change team.

Sign our petition now

Join our campaign for kitchens for #allourchildren

WHAT WE DO

WHY WE DO IT

WHO WE ARE

How do we keep ourselves and our children safe

Safeguarding our mums and minis

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Latest news

Vision, Mission, Values

We were founded on togetherness, listening, love and unconditional positive regard – but we have never really put the way that we work all together in one place and agreed on our way of doing things, until now! At the end of November we got together with mums, minis, staff, volunteers, trustees to talk through…

January 25, 2025February 2, 2025

Campaign update

So it turns out that making a noise works! Our Rights Experience Advocacy Change group (REACH) team made up of mums who are experiencing the issues we are speaking up on – has been campaigning to stop children being housed without a kitchen for around a year now…. There are two main types of family…

November 14, 2024February 2, 2025

Afternoon tea with Westfield!

Last week Westfield treated our mums and minis to a delicious afternoon tea to celebrate the new Magpie Project building. The Westfield team welcomed mums, served cakes, poured drinks, cleared plates, played with children and held babies! Everyone left smiling and very full, as mama D said we felt “highly hosted”. We loved welcoming Westfield…

November 12, 2024February 2, 2025

Our new building is beginning to feel like home…

We have spent the last week unpacking and getting our new space ready to welcome our mums and minis back into. Our café area is fully stocked with new cutlery and crockery, tables set out with our beautiful colourful chairs very kindly donated by OMK and we have set up baby change areas. Toys that…

September 10, 2024September 10, 2024

Observing Ramadan in a hotel without a kitchen……..

Mama R lets us know how difficult the holy month of Ramadan was to live through while being accommodated in a hotel without cooking facilities. Mama R found herself and her family in a hotel in Romford during the holy month last year. Fasting from dawn to dusk, obviously means preparing and eating meals at…

March 9, 2024March 9, 2024

Christmas celebrations at The Magpie Project!

As we return rested from our winter break, we can look back at the success of our Christmas event! We hosted our Christmas giveaway across 2 days, which featured presents and a stocking for every child, a present for mums and a hamper for each family. Despite the torrential rain more than 215 families joined…

January 23, 2024January 23, 2024

https://twitter.com/magpieprojectuk

Charity Partners

Our awards and accomplishments

Bank Examples	Forms of Identity Needed
Metro Bank	Asylum seekers can apply for a cash account and/or savings account. This requires an Application Registration Card (ARC), proof of address and confirmation of asylum seekers support allowance or other income.
Lloyds	You can apply for a Classic Current account with a BRP, ARC or a Home Office Immigration Status document. Refugees and asylum seekers can apply for a ‘Classic current account’. This includes an arranged overdraft. Fees are charged if you go into your overdraft.
Nationwide	You can get a ‘FlexBasic account’ (basic bank account) and an ‘Instant Access saver’ (basic savings account). They accept BRP, ARC and Home Office Immigration Status document.
HSBC	You cannot open a bank account if you are from outside the EU. They accept BRP but NOT ARC. They accept BRP but NOT ARC.
Monzo	Refugees can open a current account with a BRP and their UK address. However, Monzo do not accept ARC. You can get your benefits or salary (depending on your employer) paid into your Monzo account 1 day earlier.

Saves Time	Make sure there is enough money in your account when the direct debit or standing order will be taken. If there is not enough money, you could be charged extra by the bank.
You don’t need to remember to pay a bill	You must remember to cancel standing orders when you want to stop paying someone regularly.
You will get money back for any incorrect payments for direct debits only.	Sometimes you might think you are setting up a direct debit, but it is actually a recurring payment or continuous payment authority (CPA). Be careful if companies ask for the long number on your card instead of your sort code and account number. This will mean they can take money whenever they think they are owed.
You can cancel a direct debit or a standing order at any time through your online banking account or by contacting your bank.


Magpie Mums say: “Always use direct debits if you can, so you don’t forget to pay and are charged. If you can’t use direct debits, make sure you put the dates when you’re supposed to make payments in your phone calendar.” “I’m used to it. It’s easy on the phone. I try to avoid going to banks.”

Account number	A 10-12 digit number given to your bank account. You can find your account number on your online banking page or on bank statements.
Card Number	A 16-digit number with that is found on the front of your debit/credit card.
Credit Card	A credit card doesn’t spend your money. It spends the bank’s money and you must pay it back. This means you can spend more than is in your account, but you might be charged extra for doing this, especially if you are late paying the bank.
Credit Score	A number that records how likely you are to repay your debts. High credit scores are better as it means financial products such as overdrafts and credit cards cost less.
Debit Card	A debit card is a card that lets you take out money from ATMs and make payments in stores or online from your account.
Financial Service Compensation Scheme (FSCS)	An organisation set up to protect the money you put in bank accounts. If you have a current or basic account, the FSCS will pay you up to £85,000 if your bank goes bankrupt.
National Insurance Number (NI)	The number makes sure that the National Insurance contributions and tax you pay are properly recorded on your account. It also acts as a reference number for the whole social security system.
Overdraft	An amount of money you can spend even when you have no money in your account. It is like a small loan from your bank. Overdrafts are often not free, so you need to be very aware what the costs are before using one.
Personal Identification Number (PIN)	A PIN is a 4-digit number that is given to you with a debit card. This is used when taking out money from ATMs or when making in-store purchases with your card. Never share your PIN with anyone as it could be used to commit fraud.
Security Code	A 3-4 digit number found on the back of your debit/credit card in the signature section. This number will be required for nearly all online payments. The code provides an extra layer of security to safeguard you from fraud.
Sort Code	A 6-digit number that is used to identify your bank. You can find your sort code on your online banking platform, on bank statements or on your debit card.
Standing Order	When a fixed amount that you choose is paid from your account to another person or organisation. This is different from the direct debit as the amount that is paid is the same each time.

Saves time – you don’t need to remember to pay a bill.	You need to make sure there is enough money in your account when the direct debit or standing order will be taken. If there is not enough money, you could be charged extra by the bank.
You will get money back for any incorrect payments for direct debits only.	You must remember to cancel standing orders when you want to stop paying someone regularly.
You can cancel a direct debit or a standing order at any time through your online banking account or by contacting your bank.	Sometimes you might think you are setting up a direct debit, but it is actually a recurring payment or continuous payment authority (CPA). Be careful if companies ask for the long number on your card instead of your sort code and account number. This will mean they can take money whenever they think they are owed.