Special Announcement
Read the latest issues of RCO News and RCO Women’s News
The most recent issues of our bi-monthly newsletters, RCO News and RCO Women’s News, will be available online on Monday 6 September. In these issues find out about how refugees and asylum seekers fit into the Big Society in RCO News, and the closure of the Refugee Women’s Development Project at the Northern Refugee Centre in RCO Women’s News.
News
Quarterly Statistical Summary shows that over two thirds of initial decisions are refusals
The Home Office has released the Quarterly Statistical Summary for Q2 (April – June) 2010. Figures show that applications for asylum were 29% lower than in Q2 2009, and an overwhelming 79% of initial decisions granted during the quarter were refusals. Only 15% were granted asylum and 9% granted Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave.
Changes in permission to work for asylum seekers
Following the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of ZO (i.e. that people who have made fresh claims are entitled to apply for permission to work after 12 months of making the claim) UKBA changed Immigration Rules so that all asylum seekers applying for permission to work after 9 September 2010 will be restricted to occupations on the national shortage list.
Refugee Council and Community Links research about informal working
RCOs are invited to complete a questionnaire on informal working in refugee communities. The findings will help the Greater London Authority implement their ‘London Enriched’ strategy. Completed questionnaires will be entered into a prize draw for your organisation. The deadline is 10 September and your answers will be confidential.
Share your RCO’s experience
We are looking for RCOs to share their experiences to help other RCOs; around fundraising, social enterprise, commissioning, partnership/ collaborative working and building community resilience. We can offer £200 per experience paper and you can submit more than one. This is a Basis Project initiative, taken forward by Refugee Council. For more information visit this page.
Experience papers or documents must be submitted by 29 September 2010.
Funding
Experian Fund (East Midlands)
Nottinghamshire Community Foundation invites local registered charities to apply for up to £20,000 through the Experian Fund. Charities must support children and young people. The aim of the fund is to support a financial education project which must cover at least two aspects of Every Child Matters and can aim for sustainability.
Funding Available for Sporting Facilities (London)
The Football Foundation has announced that the 2nd funding round of the PlaySport scheme will re-open for applications in October 2010. The overall aim of the PlaySport London Facility Fund is to raise participation levels in sport in London through the funding of sports facilities. The fund will help to provide affordable, good quality local facilities within local communities.
Britain’s Kindest Kid 2010 (UK)
Children who have made an outstanding contribution to a charity or community, and are aged 5 – 16, can enter this Five news and Charities Aid Foundation award. The winner will appear on Five News and will receive £1,000 for themselves and £1,000 in Charity Aid Foundation vouchers for a charity of their choice.
Deadline for applications: 4 October 2010
Volant Charitable Trust (UK)
Registered charities whose purpose is to alleviate poverty and social deprivation with particular emphasis on children and women’s issues have the opportunity to apply for funding through the Volant Charitable Trust.
Closing date for applications: 28 January 2011
Training and resources
British Afghan Women’s Society Youth Support Project
FREE events for both boys and girls aged 13–21 will be held from September/October (in Waltham Forest, Enfield and Brent) to support Afghan youth. Workshops and activities will cover health issues, stress management, Afghan culture and much more. For more information call 020 8373 6350 or email baw_uk@yahoo.com
English Language Classes
Tuesdays, 6pm – 7.30pm, Islington, FREE
These FREE Islington Families’ English classes are for both beginners and more advanced speakers—all are welcome. The new course starts on Tuesday 7 September 2010. For more information call 0207 502 4917 or Phillippa.Lennon@circleanglia.org
Coventry: Train the Trainer
13 September 2010, FREE (travel costs will be reimbursed on production of receipts) with lunch provided
This Financial Literacy Project Train the Trainer seminar aims to give attendees the skills, experience and confidence to deliver training in their communities. The seminar will relate to delivering financial literacy training, but could also be applied to other topics. For more information or to book contact Karla McLaren on karla.mclaren@refugeecouncil.org.uk or 020 7346 1094.
Birmingham: Financial Literacy Project (FLP) workshops
October 2010 (various dates), FREE (travel costs will be reimbursed on production of receipts) with lunch provided
The Refugee Council FLP provides support and advice on financial literacy to individuals with refugee backgrounds, and their communities. These FREE workshops aim to tackle financial exclusion. Workshops will cover Budgeting, Business Start up, Cash Management and UK Banking Services. For more information or to book contact Karla McLaren on karla.mclaren@refugeecouncil.org.uk or 020 7346 1094
Useful Website: Gifts in Kind
In Kind Direct encourages manufacturers and retailers to donate their high quality surplus for distribution to good causes. It is the only organisation coordinating UK-wide in-kind giving. Companies donate surplus goods, mainly new and unused items, to voluntary organisations.
Refugee Council: Evidencing need for funding applications
15 September 2010, FREE
One of the challenges RCOs face when fundraising for their projects and programme activities is to demonstrate that there is a need for the organisation/community to carry out their activities. This course will include sources from official statistics, methods for carrying out your own research, and ways of effectively using information to make your funding applications stronger. For more information or to book a place email karla.mclaren@refugeecouncil.org.uk
Events
Birmingham: The Role of Refugee Community Organisations in UK Civil Society
23 September 2010, Carrs Lane Church Centre, Birmingham
This regional event from the Basis Project is aimed at any one involved in or interested in supporting, engaging with or knowing more about the work of refugee community organisations in the West Midlands. This is also a networking opportunity for “capacity building support” organisations.
Supporting Refugee Community Organisations’ (RCOs) role in integration in London
27 September 2010, 9.30am – 4.30pm
The Basis Project is delighted to announce that Richard Barnes, the Deputy Mayor of London, will speak at their upcoming London Region Conference. This event seeks to encourage dialogue among representatives of RCOs, funders and policymakers, to generate practical responses for long-term sustainability of the RCO sector in the current policy and funding climate. For further information or to register, please contact Alain Munyangabe on 0207 346 1297 or alain.munyangabe@refugeecouncil.org.uk
Refugee Council: Business Start up
28 September 2010, FREE (travel expenses and child care costs reimbursed and lunch provided)
This Financial Literacy Project training will provide an introduction to setting up in business and to becoming self-employed for refugees and asylum seekers. The training will be delivered by Angela McLean, highly successful and experienced entrepreneur and trainer. For more information or to book a place email karla.mclaren@refugeecouncil.org.uk
Refugee Council: Social Enterprise for Communities
1 October 2010, FREE (travel expenses and child care costs reimbursed and lunch provided)
This Financial Literacy Project training will provide practical information for individuals and refugee community organisations interested in setting up a social enterprise, in particular: organisational models; sources of revenue; planning and setting up a social enterprise. This training will be delivered by Social Enterprise London. For more information or to book a place email karla.mclaren@refugeecouncil.org.uk
Coventry Destitution Conference
13 Oct 2010, £10 per person for voluntary organisations
All profits from this conference will go to Coventry Refugee Centre’s HOPE Fund, which distributes vital support to local destitute people. The focus of the 2010 conference is HEALTH. Over the course of the day we will be discussing innovative ways to bridge the health inequality gap for people facing destitution – and cover the difficult health issues (physical and/or mental) involved. For more information and to book email xiaobo.wang@coventry.gov.uk
Time to Get Moving to end stigma
Time to Get Moving is a week of activity events from 9–17 October 2010 organised by individuals and organisations all over England, which bring people together to get active and challenge mental health stigma and discrimination. If you organise a Time to Get Moving event you can register it and receive a free event planner and other materials by calling their advice line on 020 7034 2772.
Vacancies
Amnesty International Researcher/Adviser – migrants’ rights
£38,975 plus benefits, fixed term contract of one year
As an adviser in the Refugee and Migrants’ rights team, you will help shape Amnesty International’s work on migrants rights. You will conduct research and develop Amnesty International’s (AI) policy positions on migrants’ rights issues including criminalization, detention and exploitative labour practices. For further information visit the Amnesty careers page.
Closing date for applications: 26 September
British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) Director
£46,718 – £51,431, full-time
BIHR is a national charity with a passion for making human rights language, legislation and principles meaningful for people in the UK. We seek a new Director with the vision and practical abilities to build on our achievements and make us sustainable. You will have proven management experience from any sector and be an adept fundraiser. For more information and an application pack, please visit their website.
Closing date for applications: 27 September 2010
